


Parts Of Me

by The_Littlest_Raindrop



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Genre: Drug Use, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Foul Language, Heavy Subject Matters, Mentions of Abortion, Mentions of Rape, Mentions of self-harm, Mentions of surgery, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, Violence, mentions of child abuse, mentions of child prostitution, tags to be added as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2019-06-13 05:03:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15356868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Littlest_Raindrop/pseuds/The_Littlest_Raindrop
Summary: Dominic hasn’t had the easiest of lives. Orphaned at a young age, he’s had to do some questionable things to get by, though not nearly as questionable as the things that have been done to him.Now, at age eighteen, life seems to be sorting itself out. That is, until he crosses paths with a beautiful redhead, who threatens to turn his comfortable yet lonesome life upside down. Can the two find what they need in each other? Or will they refuse to bare their hearts, and continue their lives in almost perfect solitude?





	1. Prologue: The Man With The Glowing Blue Gun

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear readers!
> 
> First off, and I hope this doesn’t come off as rude or patronising, please read the tags. This story contains a lot of heavy subject matters, which I understand aren’t going to be to everyone’s liking.
> 
> Second, this is a request piece for PrincexRaven, who wanted me to use their OC Dominic in a work set in the Repo! universe, featuring everyone’s favourite (well, a lot of people’s) shinigami Grell (who will make her debut next chapter). I just really hope I’ve done him justice ^.^’
> 
> Right, here we go. Oh, one more thing though. This chapter might not make sense at first, but please keep reading until the end; I promise it falls into place.
> 
> Well then, here goes nothing!

It’s cold on the streets tonight.

The rain stopped a few moments ago, but it’s chill still lingers in the air. Nights like this, most of the population choose to spend their time huddled under blankets, the only real exceptions being the addicts and the homeless.

Unfortunately for Irene, she falls into the latter category.

Well, technically not. Technically, she does have a home. Technically, she does have somewhere to go tonight.

Technically, she should be safe.

So why is she roaming the street at night, fourteen years old and pregnant?

It had all started when she lost her mother at the age of five. That’s what she tells herself, at least. More likely, it started a few years later, when her stomach started to fail. Her father had saved up every last dime, but in the end, he’d still had to get her a stomach on credit. That wouldn’t have been a problem under normal circumstances.

However, normal circumstances don’t account for her father dying on her when she was eleven.

With no money to pay for her stomach, and fearing losing her family home, Irene had donned the monicker ‘Lolita’, and taken to turning tricks to pay her way in life.

It had been almost easy, at first. She used to tell herself that she was the one in control, that she had power over the men that fucked her. After all, prostitution is one of the oldest professions around, but pedophilia… that’s just sick. Ultimately, she held all the cards in her hand, and if someone decided to mess with her, she wasn’t afraid to play them to her advantage.

Then she met ‘him’.

Pavi Largo. Satan in a skin mask.

She was thirteen when they first met. She’d made the mistake of treating him like any other client at first. After all, famous or no, he had cash, and she had something to sell him. It should have been a simple transaction. 

Then again, when has anything to do with a Largo ever been simple?

Pavi began to visit her frequently, his demands becoming more… violent. At first it had been a simple ‘in-and-out’ job, but as the weeks went by… he started to cut her. Nothing major, at first. The odd little slice here and there, nothing scarring. Then, one day, he did the unthinkable, even though thinking back, it seems more like the inevitable.

The word ‘mutilation’ is thrown about so lightly these days, but to look upon ‘Lolita’’s mauled breasts, you’d be hard put to describe it any other way. Pavi tortured her in so many ways, but the angry crescent scars covering her chest are by far the most noticeable. They were his way of marking her up, of putting off any other client so that he could have his pretty little playing to himself. 

The worst part? They worked.

‘Lolita’ soon found herself with fewer and fewer clients, and the ones that did pay her for sex we’re all found dead a few days later, their corpses all having one thing on common; no face. Despite having no desire to even hear Pavi’s name again, the man kept coming, and began to refuse her desperate cries of ‘stop’, and her sobbing, that often carried on through the night.

That’s only part of the reason she’s roaming the streets tonight though. Sure, she wants to get as far away from Pavi as possible, but she now has an even bigger problem.

Bastard that he is, he’s only gone and given her one of her own.

She doesn’t want it. She can’t keep it. If Rotti Largo finds out that she’s carrying his bastard grandchild, he’ll have her killed. Fuck, if any of the Largos find out…

Her mind preoccupied, she fails to notice the man standing before her, and collides with him with such force they both fall the the floor, Irene landing on top the the man.

The stranger chuckles beneath her. ‘You know, the whole ‘throwing yourself at men’ thing isn’t meant to be literal; that hurt.’ She takes a closer look at the man, and gasps out in shock; a illegal Z-dealer? Great, as if she wasn’t already being hunted…

Scrambling, she picks herself up and begins to walk away, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing her shoulder. ‘That was a joke, sour puss. Now, you looking to score? First one is free, if you’re interested.’ He produces a vial of Zydrate from his jacket, and for a moment, Irene is tempted. Even though it’s not a permanent solution to her problems, that little glass vial could take her out of it, make her forget everything that’s happened this last decade or so. She almost agrees to it, until it hits her that being out of it is the last thing she wants; she needs to keep her wits about her to avoid Pavi and family.

Irene shakes her head. ‘Not interested. Now, if you’ll excuse me…’ she shoves his hand off, but he replaces it immediately, so she decides to keep walking backwards until he takes the hint.

When he walks under a street lamp, the dealer catches a good look at her face, and his own face falls. ‘How old are you?’ Great, the last thing she needs now is a lecture on life choices.

She rolls her eyes. ‘Fourteen. Not that it’s any of your fucking business, creep. Now, unless you wanna pay to fuck me, get off of me.’ Irene shrugs once more, and the dealer lets his hand fall this time. Satisfied, Irene keeps walking, only for the stranger to keep pace.

His long strides match hers with ease. ‘Fourteen? You’re a little young to be turning tricks, aren’t you? What is it, mommy and daddy not earning enough to feed you?’ Irene fights the urge to slap the stranger. What gives him the right to ask such things?

Nevertheless, she answers him. ‘They’re dead. I’m feeding myself. Oh, and like every other person in this town, I have an organ to pay off, so if you’re about to lecture me, save it. I regret almost nothing about my choices.’ 

Irene tries to walk even faster, but she’s no match for the dealer, who makes a confused face at her. ‘’Almost nothing’? What do you regret then? Not giving you v-card to someone special?’ He’s asking for a slap now, and Irene has never been one to refuse people what they ask for. She slaps him with enough force to make the sound echo off of the nearby buildings, and the leave a sizeable impression on the side of his face.

Fuelled by rage, Irene comes clean. ‘No, actually. I regret ending up as Pavi Largo’s little torture slut, and I regret him knocking me up. You have no fucking clue, do you? Is it fairyland inside your head? I have a serious fucking problem here, and unless I leave right now, I’m going to end up dead, or worse. So just leave me the hell alone!’ She storms off, leaving the dealer to stroke his sore face.

Irene is about to turn a corner, when she hears the dealer call out again. ‘I can help you.’ She freezes in an instant. Had she heard that right? He’s offering to help her?

Despite her internal optimism, she opts to save face, and laughs at him with a considerable amount of mirth. ‘You? Help me? How? You gonna go kill Pavi for me?’ 

The dealer smirks. ‘Would that I could. I do know a guy who could solve one problem for ya, though. An… ‘acquaintance’ of mine runs a back alley abortion clinic. I’d be happy to introduce you.’ He’s lying. He has to be. Why would a stranger help her? There’s a catch, there has to be.

Irene frowns. ‘And how the fuck am I supposed to afford that? Pavi messed me up so bad there’s not a man or woman in fifty miles that would pay to fuck me. Add in my rent and my repayments, and I barely have enough for food this month, never mind indefinitely. I’m screwed. The Largo’s have all screwed me over, and there’s shit all I can do about it.’ She makes to storm off, but for some reason, her legs refuse to budge. Is this her subconsciously wanting to hear him out?

The dealer thinks for a moment, before addressing her with a grin. ‘You’re not the only one, kid. In my mind though, people like us? We’ve gotta look out for each other. So, here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna take you to the guy I mentioned, and I’m gonna pay him to get rid of the tadpole. Then, you’re going to come and work for me, like an apprentice of sorts. I’ll make sure you’re all taken care of until you’re skilled enough to strike out on your own. How does that sound?’ Irene feels dizzy. He can’t be for real. He’s seriously going to do all that? No, seriously, there has to be some kind of catch.

Irene glares. ‘I don’t believe you. You’re planning something, aren’t you? Yeah, I know your kind. You’re all ‘I’ll help you’, then bam! You turn out to be even worse that what I’m running from. Well no thank you. I’m done with being abused. I’ll find my own way in life, one where I’m the one in control.’ 

The stranger snickers. ‘That’s what I’m offering you. You’ve seen all the scalpel sluts around the city. People will do anything to get their fix of Z. You could be the one in control, the one in charge. All you have to do is come with me.’ He stretches out his hand in invitation, and for the first time tonight, Irene allows herself to hope for a better future.

Still weary, she takes his hand cautiously, as if she’s afraid he’ll strike her.

She tries to sound imperious, but there’s a nervous edge to her voice as she speaks. ‘If you try anything, I’ll cut off your dick, and shove it so far down your throat you’ll be pissing out your asshole.’ 

The stranger’s eyes widen. ‘Well, you’ve got enough moxie to handle being a dealer. I only hope you’ve got the stomach for it. Come, kid. Let’s get you sorted out.’ He begins to lead her down a path, one that leads into another of the many alleyways located in the city.

As they walk, a thought occurs to Irene. ‘What’s your name?’

The dealer grins. ‘They call me ‘Graverobber.’’

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

True to his word, Graverobber arranged a termination for Irene, and started training her the very next evening. It took her a little time to get used to jamming needles into the dead, but that’s to be expected. After all, if she fails to pay her debt, it could well be her having a needle jabbed into her skull.

After six months of so, Irene got the hang of it, but she didn’t leave Graverobber straight away.

You see, Graverobber is a stabilising influence, and right now, Irene needs all the stability possible.

She’s started to feel… uncomfortable about something. At first, she had assumed it was the scars, or her newfound employment, but as time wore on, she realised that they weren’t the problem.

She was. Or rather, ‘she’ was.

Looking back, it should have been obvious. Irene had never been entirely comfortable with ‘herself’. Every time ‘she’ looked in a mirror, ‘she’ felt this undeniable urge to try and crawl out of ‘her’ very skin. Those thoughts had taken a backseat during ‘her’ time as ‘Lolita’, but now? Now that Irene has had time to think on it, it has consumed ‘her’ mind entirely.

‘She’ is not a ‘she’. ‘She’ has never been a ‘She’. ‘She’ was but a monicker, a pseudonym. Something that people called ‘her’ just because ‘she’ was born with certain parts. ‘She’ is not the true Irene.

In fact, there is no Irene. There is only Dominic, and he refuses to live a like any longer.

It takes him a few months to save up for a mastectomy. Graverobber helps in whatever way he can, proving himself a true friend. Dominic is sure Graverobber would have ever brought him grapes, had hospital security not been quite so tight. 

After the breast were gone, next came the hysterectomy. A more costly procedure, but fucked if Dominic was going to fall into anymore debt to the Largos. He saved up once again, and within a year he no longer had a womb. Oh how he had celebrated with Graverobber that night. The two had gotten completely wasted, and had almost ended up doing something stupid; had it not been for a ‘client’ paying them a visit, they would have broken into GeneCo, found Dominic’s old womb, gift wrapped it, and sent it to Rotti, with a note explaining just what his precious Pavi did to the previous owner. In hindsight, it was a stupid idea, but alcohol does tend to negate stupidity at the time.

And now, four years after meeting Graverobber, Dominic is on his own, working a patch the opposite side of town to his former mentor. Granted, the two men bump into each other regularly, but neither tread on the other man’s toes professionally. In fact, they’ve been known to give each other handouts when business is slow.

Something that Dominic is beginning to resent.

I mean, it’s all part of it, being broke in the drug business. Regular ‘clients’ tend to be hard to come by, as most of them wind up dead after a time. Still, what would really help keep them afloat is actually charging cash, rather than letting them pay by fucking the supplier, as Graverobber has been doing his entire career.

It makes Dominic feel sick, and not just because of the money side of things. What Graverobber has told him all those years ago is true; people will do anything for a fix. In Dominic’s mind however, they shouldn’t have to whore themselves out like that. To him, Graverobber’s payment options aren’t much better than what Pavi did to him as a child. Ultimately, it’s still about those in control abusing those down below, and Dominic wants none of that. It’s either cash or quits for him.

Preferably cash, but if people can’t pay, then it’s just not his his day.

The woman in front of him now fails to understand that motto though, as she’s spend a good ten minutes trying to convince him to fuck get as payment.

The woman puts on her best wounded puppy look. ‘Come on, baby. It’s simple. You make me feel good, then I make you feel good. What do you say? I bet someone as manly as you needs to get his dick wet as often as possible. Let me get it wet for you, honey.’ She’s getting very tiresome. Dominic is almost tempted to tell her that he doesn’t actually have a dick to get wet yet (though with any luck, another year or so of saving and he’ll be ready to buy one), unless she counts the prosthetic one sitting rather snuggly in his underwear right now (he does, but this bitch doesn’t seem like the type that would). He’s not interested in getting that personal though.

Instead, he rolls his eyes. ‘I have two payment options; notes, or coins. If you don’t have either of those, then fuck off.’ He begins to walk away, but the woman calls after him.

‘Please, wait. I can get it tomorrow. Just please give me a shot of that Z. I’m due in theatre soon!’ She holds out her hands, almost like she’s asking for a handout.

Unfortunately, she’s asking the wrong guy. ‘See you tomorrow then.’ He says, walking away without looking back. It might seem harsh, but this is a harsh world; if he kept giving handouts, people would keep asking for them, and he has no interest in working for free. He has his true to pay for, after all.

As he begins the saunter home, rain begins to fall, soaking him to the bone within seconds. He allows the water to wash over him, the fabric of his already-tight clothing sticking to his lean frame. It’s going to take hours to dry off properly, but he doesn’t care.

Nights like this are the best kind, in Dominic’s opinion. For when the rain dries up, the most remarkable things seem to happen to him. 

Tonight, in his mind at least, will be no exception. 

Now all he needs to do is walk until the rain stops. The only issue?

It’s cold on the streets tonight.


	2. Act One: The Angel Of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey,
> 
> Here is chapter two, (or rather the first official chapter, as it features both our hero and heroine). I’m a little concerned the characters are a bit OOC, but we’ll see.
> 
> I hope you enjoy ^.^

Walking home in the rain was a stupid idea.

Sure, it’s not like Dominic can just hijack a car (considering he can’t actually drive), but he could have had the good sense to wait it out in a semi-sheltered alleyway or something. It’s going to take hours to dry his hip-length hair, and as convent as leather is to wear (and how easy it is to wipe blood off of), it has a nasty habit of sticking to a person almost as bad as denim does. In short, he’s soaking, and the rain has washed away any joy the night may have given him.

Still, at least he has a home.

Fortunately, during his days as a child prostitute, Dominic had been careful to only answer to ‘Lolita’, and to never reveal his true identity. Even that skin-wearing creep Pavi never managed to uncover the truth. As such, Dominic has been able to keep his family home, so long as no one sees him enter; after all, the rest of the world thinks the only occupant is a sickly little orphan named Irene. Who knows what would happen if they saw an infamous drug dealer going in?

The biggest issue with his choice of venue is the sneaking in. He can’t risk sneaking in and out through a window, as the last thing he wants is for someone to catch him ‘breaking and entering.’ Thankfully, like so many other houses in the city, there’s a secret passageway into the house, accessible via his family mausoleum. That in itself presents another problem; graveyard patrols. If he’s seem, they’ll assume he’s there to collect Z (and nine times out of ten they’d be right). 

Just as well that four years on the job has taught him how to avoid getting caught.

Still, it can be such a pain. Why can’t those Largo attack dogs just fuck off and mind their own? It’s not like he’s offering transplants, just an affordable way to numb the pain. Is Rotti not rich enough? Dominic can only assume that for a rich man, a lot of money isn’t enough; it takes all the money to satisfy them.

Dominic lets out a sigh, and keeps on walking.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

The rain finally subsides by the time Dominic reaches the graveyard. He internally scoffs at how typical it is of the weather to improve mere minutes before he makes it home. Ah, well. At least he is almost home now.

He just has to play hide-and-seek with the authorities first.

Fortunately, they don’t seem to be so numerous tonight. They’re most likely patrolling some other group of graves; they’re spoilt for choice when it comes to graveyard space to patrol. Either that or they’re being subtle…

Dominic lets out a snicker; Largo’s minions, subtle? They don’t even know the meaning of the word, especially his prized Repo Man; that man is so outlandish with where he leaves his victims, it’s almost theatrical. He probably does it to spook people into paying up, as if the threat of some stranger showing up and ripping out your kidneys isn’t already enough to warrant concern…

Despite how empty it appears, Dominic isn’t stupid enough to act carelessly. He’ll be as stealthy as he always is, just to be sure.

Wearily, Dominic begins to weave through the innumerable headstones, checking his surroundings at regular intervals. So far, so safe, but he still has a ways to go before he reaches his secret entrance.

The noise of chainsaw catches him off-guard.

Dominic freezes. Shit, they’ve got chainsaws now? Well, this sucks. Guns not visceral enough for the heavies anymore? Sick bastards, at least shooting someone in the head is quick. At least, that’s how Dominic would prefer to die, given the choice between that and a fucking chainsaw through the crotch or something.

Needing to get a fix on the chainsaw’s location (and to confirm what he heard with his eyes), Dominic cautiously peeps out from behind the headstone he’s hiding behind.

What he sees is almost enough to make him gasp.

Asymmetrical crimson hair, shaven on one side and flowing down almost as far as his own on the other. Vibrant green iris’, surrounded by a second yellow iris that has to be a body modification of some kind, hidden behind glasses a few shades darker than her hair. Sharklike teeth, gleaming in the low light. 

The subtle yet noticeable swell of breasts nestled comfortably in a blood red corset top, which is turn is encased in a leather biker jacket.

Only one thing springs to mind as Dominic looks at her; she is an angel of death, sent here to deliver souls to her dark and prolific master.

The chainsaw noise returns, and Dominic is able to draw his eyes away from her face and chest long enough to notice that she is the one wielding the tool. 

No sooner than him coming to this realisation, she puts the tool to use, plunging it into the chest of a half-dead man at her feet. As the metal makes contact with the man’s flesh, a blinding light comes out from the wound, illuminating the graveyard even brighter than the guards tend to do. Dominic has no choice but to look away, for fear of being blinded.

It doesn’t seem to affect the angel though, as her voice rings out into the night. ‘Ignacio Price, age forty two. Shot twice in the back by his former brother-in-law, for visiting the grave of his late wife despite her family forbidding him to do so. Nothing further to note.’ There’s a stamping noise, and the light disappears as quickly as it was formed, the receding of it punctuated by Mr Price’s final breath.

Noting the lack of light, Dominic looks up, and catches the angel shoving something into a pocket before her voice sounds again. ‘You can come out now, darling. I promise not to bite you.’ Probably just as well, with teeth like hers. Yet Dominic finds himself absentmindedly wondering how such a bite would feel…

Having been called out, Dominic has no choice but to come out of hiding. Still, he makes sure to seem like he’s the one in charge; angel or no, Dominic isn’t about to show anyone anything less than complete composure.

The angel grins wickedly. ‘Well, aren’t you a handsome one? If I’d known I had such an alluring audience, I would have put on a show.’ She sways towards Dominic, chainsaw still on. She’s made no move to use it yet, but Dominic makes sure to keep an eye on it at all times. 

A smile flits onto Dominic’s face briefly, before being replaced by half of one. ‘I still enjoyed the view. I’m loving all your body mods, by the way. Tell me, where did you get your teeth done? Or are angels of death like yourself the only ones privy to that information?’ As he spoke, the angel drew ever closer, before stopping half a foot away from Dominic. He stands a little taller than she does, but she’s still unusually tall for a woman. Most men would find such a height unnerving.

Just as well Dominic isn’t most men.

The angel seems to take offence. ‘My teeth? Mods? How dare you! I’ll have you know that I’m almost one hundred percent natural! Honestly, questioning the way a lady looks. And I was just starting to think that I wouldn’t have to use my weapon again tonight.’ The chainsaw revs up, and Dominic feels his heart drop into his stomach. Not because he’s afraid of death; he faces that so often it doesn’t doesn’t faze him like it used to. No, he’s more disheartened by the fact that he’s upset the angel.

Dominic tries to backtrack almost frantically. ‘I would never deliberately offend such a beautiful woman. It’s just, well, everyone on the planet has had some kind of surgery at this point. I should have known an angel was about such things. It was my mistake.’ That’s the closest Dominic has ever gotten to apologising to anyone; he hope it works.

The chainsaw keeps revving. ‘Why do you keep calling me an angel? Can’t you see that I am death itself? Just because I don’t have a huge scythe and a hideous black hood, that’s doesn’t make me any less of a grim reaper!

‘Oh, and one more thing. With me, flattery gets you nowhere, so stop calling me beautiful! It won’t work on me like it used to. I’m sick of men thinking that a few compliments are all it takes to have me do their bidding. I know you’re only playing nice so I won’t kill you, so just stop it, alright? Let me hang on to what self-esteem I have left…’ The reaper’s face falls, as if she’s lost in some horrible memory. Dominic can almost feel the pain in her eyes, and it resonates with his own, causing him to do something he really shouldn’t in a situation like this; he takes a step forward.

Trying his best to ignore the chainsaw now, he speaks calmly, looking the sorrowful woman dead in the eyes. ‘Grim reaper or no, I still think you’re an angel. I’m not lying to you either; you’re stunning. If you want to run me through with that thing because you think I’m lying, then be my guest. After my shitty life, it’ll seem like a blessing. I don’t know if it’ll put the sparkle that I saw when you were killing that guy a moment ago, but it might help. So go on, run me though, but just know that I’m not a liar; I’ve met enough of them that I know how not to become one.’ Dominic keeps looking in her eyes, silently hoping that all his years of watching people and reading their behaviour has paid off.

The sound of the chainsaw stops. 

The reaper smiles sadly at Dominic. ‘I’ve known my fair share of liars too, and you don’t seem like one to me. Very well, I won’t kill you. I still don’t believe what you’ve told me, but I’ve always been a fool for looks like yours. You must swear not to tell anyone what you saw tonight though; I could face serious repercussions for revealing so much of myself and my race. Best just to forget me and move on.’ The reaper makes to leave, only for Dominic to stand in her way.

He puts on his dealer persona, placing his hands on his hips and looking stern. ‘I don’t know if anyone told you this, but in this graveyard and on these streets, I’m the one that makes the demands. Right now, I demand to know your name, and why it’s okay for you to call me ‘handsome’ when I can’t call you ‘beautiful’?’ 

The reaper sizes Dominic up before answering. ‘I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Oh, and I call you handsome because that’s what you are. I’m sure a high-and-mighty drug dealer like yourself has plenty of scalpel sluts telling him that already, so what does it matter? The only difference is that I’m not about to suck you off for a fix; I’m just being honest, as you claimed to be a moment ago.’ She mimics Dominic’s posture perfectly, standing her ground just as firmly as the notorious Z dealer.

Dominic feels his heart quicken a little at the sight.

Ignoring the feeling, he decides to indulge his new acquaintance. ‘Dominic. That’s my name. And how the fuck did you know I’m a dealer?’ He deliberately ignores the last part of the reaper’s response, for the same reason she was so reluctant to accept him at his word.

Insecurity.

The reaper produces a self-satisfied smile. ‘Grell Sutcliff, and no offence ‘Dom’, but you’re not exactly subtle; the Zydrate gun strapped to your thigh is a dead giveaway. That and no other human would be fool enough to stalk around a graveyard at night. You’re talking my inhumanity rather well, by the way. Is this your first time meeting a reaper?’ Truthfully, Dominic had been a little too caught up in their conversation to really question the whole reaper thing. Still, after the shit he’s seen…

Dominic remains stern. ‘It’s ‘Dominic’, and I’ll have you know that I’m actually on my way home right now. 

‘Oh, and to answer your other question, we live in an age where organs can be harvested, sold, and inserted in the blink of an eye; I really don’t find the idea of souls being treated the same way all that surprising. I also thought you were a fucking angel at first glance, so if I thought that, then surely me believing you’re death incarnate isn’t that much of a stretch?’ He’s certain that no one could argue with his logic, but this woman and her motivations don’t exactly make her like everyone else…

The answer seems satisfactory nonetheless. ‘Very well, Dominic. I suppose humans in this day-and-age are just more open-minded than they used to be. Oh, and far better looking too.

‘Now, I think it’s time we both head home. Perhaps our paths will cross again in the future.’ She’s about to leave again, only for Dominic to stop her again. ‘What now?’

Dominic half smiles again. ‘I meant what I said, my sweet angel of death; you are a vision. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing more of you another time, but I don’t want to leave it to chance. How about we meet up the next time you’re free? My hours are fully flexible, so anytime is good for me.’ Dominic sneaks in a wink, before cringing; who is he, and what has he done with his stoicism?

Whatever possessed Dominic long enough to make him add on that last little bit managed to do its job perfectly; Grell beams at him. ‘A date? Seriously? Oh, it’s been so long since I had such an offer! I’ll hunt you down on Friday if you like. Oh, but what if… no, never mind that. I’m going to go out and have fun with you. Yes, even if you hate me by the end of it, fleeting happiness is better than none…’ her face falls again, and Dominic wonders if she was supposed to say that last part outloud.

Grell recovers remarkably quickly though, plastering on a grin that would seem genuine if Dominic hadn’t had to force his own so much in the past. ‘Well, must dash then. See you on Friday!’ This time, she moves to quickly that Dominic can’t stop her, and she fades from view almost instantly.

As he continues his journey home, Dominic thinks back over his encounter. Did he really just ask a woman out on a date? Fucking idiot, what did he do that for? What’s she doing to think when she opens up his trousers and finds it he doesn’t have the right equipment? If they even make it that far; he’s certain the scars that he has covering his entire body will be enough to put her off long before his genitals do.

Still, it’s like she said, it’s just for fun. It’s not like Dominic has anyone, unless you count the fact that he’s spent these last four years in love with Graverobber…

No, it’s best not to go there. The only thing more painful than rejection is unrequited love, yet there is nothing more terrifying than a confession that could ruin a friendship. Sure, Dominic has dropped many hints over the years, but Graverobber seems to shrug them all off; he’s pretty sure if he wore a sign that said ‘Fuck me, Graverobber’, the older man would spontaneously lose the ability to read.

Well, what’s done is done. It’s not like he has anyway of cancelling on his date, short of telling her on the day, and he’d rather avoid doing that; he gets the feeling she really would kill him over that. So, he’ll be polite, and he’ll make small talk, but he won’t reveal anything major, and he definitely won’t ask her on a second date or anything.

He has a reputation to uphold as a fearsome dealer, and he can’t risk having that ruined by getting too attached to a woman. 

Even one as beautiful as apparently capable as Grell…

‘Shit.’ Dominic mutters under his breath, award that the longer he thinks of Grell, the meaningful the date will become, despite the fact that it means nothing. It was just a stupid slip up. 

He thinks.

His thoughts are plagued by his angel of death until he finally makes it to his bed.

He only hopes his dreams do not tempt him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we go. The hands of fate have pushed these two souls together. How will they fare? Tune in next time to find out.
> 
> Cheers!


	3. Act Two: Diner Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> … well, ain’t this a funny-looking Wednesday? ;)
> 
> I managed to finish sooner than planned, so here the new chapter ^.^ hope you like it

Friday rolls around quicker than Dominic would have hoped. It feels like mere hours since he met the crimson angel in the graveyard, not nearly enough time to even process the beauty of the woman in question, let alone prepare for a date with her!

Sighing heavily, Dominic returns to a task he’s been trying to complete for a good half an hour; trying to figure out what to wear.

Whatever it is will undoubtedly be black in colour; he seldom buys anything that isn’t. The only thing colourful he has is a pair of red and green boxer shorts he’d been given for Christmas one year. Still, as it was Graverobber that gave them to him, he can’t deny he likes them at least a little.

Unfortunately, he can’t go out in his underwear alone; if not for the sake of decency, then for the state of his body.

There are somethings about Dominic’s body that the man rather likes, specifically his tattoos. He has a line of barbed wire around his left hip (with little dots of red that make it look as if there truly is metal stuck in his side), a stem of purple roses with blue thorns on his right ankle (purple for him, blue for the Zydrate he stings people with), an old Hebrew proverb across his right wrist (‘If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?’), and a fleur-de-lye the same colour as his former mentor’s lipstick on his neck. 

Another Dominic is rather fond of is his hair, even if the Zydrate blue streaks are more representative of his profession, rather than himself. In hindsight, he should have been all that surprised that Grell identified him as a dealer; all he needs is a ‘drugs for sale here’ t-shirt and he’ll be the most conspicuous dealer possible. Still, conspicuous though he may be, at least his hair is distracting enough that people focus on it, rather than the rest of him.

Dominic sighs heavily. Oh yes, the rest of him. 

His forearms are the most likely area to be noticed. White scars litter the entirety of his forearms, and while they may be self-inflicted, they’re not something he likes to show people. He doesn’t know if it’s pride or shame that causes him to hide them, but he does. Besides, he’ll know all he’d get if people saw them is false pity, followed by cries of ‘I can help you’, and ‘I bet I’ll understand why you do it if you talk to me’. His favourite of all tends to be the people who say ‘have you tried talking to someone?’. No shit, do people think the words that come out of his mouth aren’t aimed at anybody? Damn fucking right he’s tried talking, but so far he’s never met anyone who didn’t give him a bullshit, condescending answer before suggesting he consult with someone else. In the end, it’s a vicious conversational loop that can just get stuffed.

He has mixed feelings about his chest. He’s almost pleased with the neat, precise little arcs left over from his mastectomy. Having the operation was a step towards being who he truly is, and he won’t begrudge the scars that got him there. 

The other scars on his chest? The jagged canvas of red that never seems to fade? They came from Pavi, and they make him sick. He can still remember every cut, every slice, every laugh that creature inflicted upon him. Some days it’s all he can do not to tear the flesh from his torso, just to be free of Pavi’s influence. These are the scars he is most determined to keep hidden.

There’s one more scar; a neat line running just above his genitals. That’s the scar from his hysterectomy, and it’s just one more scar he doesn’t mind having.

Having so much to keep hidden is a pain, especially when it comes to wearing anything other than his work clothes. Normally he wouldn’t give two shits about what other people think when they see him, but this is different; there’s something about Grell that makes Dominic want to put effort in.

Not that he should really be bothering. After all, asking her out had been a huge mistake. He should probably just meet up with her then bail, even if she does opt to bring that chainsaw of hers along…

On the other hand, Grell did seem rather excited over the prospect of a night out, so ditching her would be unbelievably vicious. He’ll just go out, take her to a cafe or something, walk her home, then never see her again. Unless the date goes well, of course…

Dominic scoffs aloud. Since when did anything go right for him?

With a growl of frustration, Dominic ends up throwing on a dark grey t-shirt, with a black button-up shirt layered on top (both for warmth and to cover his arms). As for bottoms, well, you can never go wrong with jeans. If nothing else, they make your ass look great and, in Dominic’s case at the very least, do wonders to accentuate your already nice legs. Dominic nods at his reflection; this’ll do.

Shoving on his usual boots (because there’s no way he’s going to waste time finding a different pair when he’s already taken over an hour to prepare if you include showering), Dominic heads to the entrance to his family tomb, heading for the secret exit.

He can’t wait for the night to be over.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Grell is already waiting outside the tomb by the time he leaves it. 

She gives Dominic a stern look. ‘Where have you been? Honestly, what kept you? It’s rude to keep a lady waiting, you know!’ Dominic fights the urge to scoff; she’s probably only been here two minutes.

Fighting the scoff, but not the urge to reply with a degree of contempt, Dominic shoots straight back with ‘Well, maybe if said lady had given me a time, I wouldn’t have been late. Besides, you’re the one who wanted to meet today specifically; for all you know, Friday is the day where I meticulously brush every strand of my hair!’

Grell shoot him an incredulous look. ‘Is it?’ 

Dominic smirks. ‘Luckily for you, that’s Tuesday. In all honestly, I was trying to find something a little less conspicuous than my usual get up. Although I must say you’re looking beautiful enough that we’ll still be turning heads by walking together.’ Dominic means it too. Like him, she’s kept one thing from her original outfit; the corset. This time though, she’s swapped her jacket for a coat, and a skirt short enough to flirt with her knees. That’s definitely the most distracting element, especially considering that she seems to have stockings and a garter belt on underneath. Honestly, the sight of the was worth leaving the house for all by itself…

Grell smiles demurely. ‘Well, a girl does try to make an effort for such occasions. Speaking of which, where are you taking me, handsome? Let me guess; you want to take me somewhere dark so you can put the moves on me without having to be ashamed?’ That’s an oddly specific guess. Has that happened to her before?

Dominic looks confused. ‘I was actually going to suggest a diner not too far from here. It has lights and everything.’ Does she really think he’s that desperate to get into her underthings? Granted, he may have taken a moment to stare at them, but that’s different; it’s the difference between window-shopping and burglary. 

Embarrassed by her assumption, Grell turns almost as red as her corset. ‘Oh. Well, that does sound nice. Lead on then, Dommie.’ 

Fighting back a sigh, Dominic mutters ‘it’s Dominic.’ Before he begins to lead Grell out of the graveyard.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

The diner that Dominic takes Grell to can only be described as a shit hole. The vinyl seats are worn and faded, used gum hangs like stalagmites on the underside of every table, the lighting is nauseating… not an ideal place for a date, but at least they’re not likely to run into any Geneco goons in here.

Grell does her best to put on a brave face, but she’s not impressed. ‘Well, this is… nice.’ The accompanying smile is weak and forced, something not lost on her companion.

Dominic chuckles and shakes his head. ‘I know it isn’t much to look at, but trust me, the food here is excellent. The chef used to work in a big fancy restaurant, until they got fired for stealing food. Don’t hold that against him though; the good was being thrown out anyhow, Tony has a family to feed. 

‘Speaking of which, why don’t you pick us out a table while I get us some drinks?’ It seems like a good plan in Dominic’s mind; if she’s picking out the table, she can’t accuse him of trying to get it on with her away from prying eyes.

The idea sits well with Grell. ‘Very well, dear. I think I’ll have a strawberry milkshake if I may. Would you like the money now or…?’ Seriously? Is this really how dates are now? 

Dominic takes offence. ‘So, first you think I want to molest you, now you think I expect you to pay for shit? Fuck me running, what kind of man do you think I am?’ The few other occupants of the diner take care not to notice his little outburst, but he’s certain he saw a few ears twitch.

Once again, Grell seems flustered. ‘Well, I… I think I’ll go get us that table.’ She scurries off to an unoccupied seat, leaving Dominic alone to order the drinks. Shit, that could have gone better. He’s really not good with women…

Contrite, he makes sure to order her the fanciest milkshake possible, with ice cream and everything. He orders himself a water, not wanting anything too heavy; he wants to make sure he has plenty of room for food.

When the drinks are prepared, he takes them and a couple of menus over to Grell, who still looks thoroughly ashamed of herself. She doesn’t even notice when her drink is placed in front of her.

Knowing that he should apologise, but being unable to muster up the words to do so, Dominic does the most risky thing imaginable; he asks her about her past straight of the bat.

Clearing his throat, Dominic opens with the most loaded question he could possibly ask right now. ‘Did your last date molest you and expect you to pay?’ Okay, so he could have put it a little more tactfully than that, but who cares? It’s not like she’ll ever want to see him again after this… in fact, he’s not even sure if he wants to see her again!

Grell lets out a sardonic huff. ‘Darling, I couldn’t tell you what my last date was like. It feels like several lifetimes ago, and in many ways I suppose it was. All I do remember is that it ended poorly, and my romantic prospects haven’t exactly improved since then. Every man I’ve met since has either called me a freak, or gotten close to me only to hold me up on display like some kind of sideshow. You can sit there and tell me that you won’t do the same, but you don’t know that. Knowing my luck, you’ll turn on me in my most vulnerable moment, when I tell you… well, when you get to know the real me.’ At this point, Dominic can’t help but wonder what she means by that. Is she casting some kind of spell over herself that makes her look like a beautiful woman, when in fact she looks like a giant blob of glue or something?

Dominic scoffs. ‘I hate to tell you this, but the whole world is just one big freak show. You’ve seen that grotesque opera the Largo family puts on. The whole world is fucked in one way or another, but for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a freak show. In fact, I think you’re the most normal thing I’ve seen in a while. Besides which, I’m not all sunshine and daises myself, angel. Everyone has something a bit kooky about them; that’s part of the fun I guess.’ He ends his sentence with a non-committal shrug, but his words seem to get through to Grell.

The reaper smirks. ‘A foulmouthed dealer who blows hot and cold like a broken shower? I would hardly compare you to a spring meadow. I’d have to go for a cave or something like that. Dark, foreboding, damn… but you never know what you might find in it. I think I’ll enjoy searching your cave.’ 

Dominic can’t stop the words that leave his mouth in response. ‘Not as much as I’ll enjoy plundering yours.’ He goes red as soon as the words leave his mouth, and his body tenses up, waiting for the slap that he knows is coming.

It doesn’t though; instead, Grell picks up a menu and starts looking for something to order, but not before giving him a saucy look and saying ‘Not on a first date, dear.’ 

Dominic is starting to like this woman.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

They end up staying at the diner for much longer than Dominic had ever thought possible.

The two of them hadn’t taken very long to decide on what food to eat; the menu was rather limited, after all. In the end, they’d both had a bacon burger and fries, arguably the most calorific thing on the menu. Neither of them commented on it though, and the burgers were wolfed down in no time flat.

After eating, Dominic had gotten them both another drink, and they’d agreed to wait a little while to see if room for dessert magically appeared. In that time they had asked each other all manner of seeming menial questions like ‘What’s your favourite colour?’ and ‘Is there a particular genre of music you’re partial to?’. To Dominic’s surprise, their answers paired up pretty well, enough that he actually began to enjoy himself.

After a while, they’d decided to opt out of having dessert in favour of a covert stroll around town. Dominic had paid the bill in full as promised, and the two had set off walking and talking until the night set in fully, bringing with it the authorities and scalpel sluts. Not wanting to risk being recognised by either one, Dominic had suggested that he walk her home. 

Grell seemed amused by the notion. ‘Do you think we reapers live in this realm? Well, some do I suppose. I wonder how Undertaker and his brood are doing… anyhow, baring a few exceptions, we reapers tend to live in a realm all our own. I’d like to walk back to your crypt with you though; I’m rather enjoying your company.’ 

Dominic had tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat over her words.

Far sooner than either would have liked, they made it back to the crypt.

The pair smile at each other somewhat awkwardly, neither of them knowing what to say or do. Sure, Dominic knows that he wants to say ‘I want another date!’, but does Grell? She may seem like she’s been having a good time, but is that merely an act she’s putting on to spare his feelings?

In the end, it’s Grell that breaks the silence. ‘So, What does a girl have to do to earn a second date with the notorious Dominic, eh? Before you say anything lewd, do remember that my teeth could probably cut glass if I bit hard enough.’ She exposes her teeth to illustrate her point.

Finally finding words thanks to her boldness, Dominic answers. ‘She has to agree to meet me here next week. Though I’m not sure what we could do… I’m sure I’ll think of something.’ Fat chance of that, given that there’s fuck all to do in this town that won’t get you arrested, dissected, or a combination of both.

Grell giggles. ‘Well, I’d happily accompany you to diner again. Failing that, I’m sure I have a pack of playing cards somewhere… do you know how to play snap?’ Dominic laughs a little too loudly for their current location, but he finds it hard to care; not when he’s so focused on the company.

It’s going to hurt when she finds out the truth about him.

That’s a worry for another day though. For now, Dominic gives Grell’s hand a quick kiss before bidding her goodnight, and scurrying away into his crypt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still in character? I hope so >.<


	4. Act Three: Near Miss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey,
> 
> So, I’ve had an interesting week. I actually finished this on Wednesday… unfortunately, my internet has apparently decided that Wednesday was too soon, went into meltdown mode, and stopped working… *sign*
> 
> I did try uploading this on 4G, but trying to get a stable enough phone signal out in the ass end of nowhere is like getting milk from a chicken; impossible. 
> 
> So, here it is, curtesy of someone else’s wi-fi. People who have read another work of mine may spot a lil’ Easter egg, should they choose to look for it.
> 
> Right, here it is.

The week leading up to Dominic’s next date with Grell passes by in a blur.

For his part, Dominic has spent his time going through his usual motions. He collects Zydrate, he finds addicts, he gives them a quick zap, then he swiftly makes it home before anyone can catch him. He is like a ghost in this city, a shadow against the inky blackness of the night…

Unfortunately for Dominic, he’s not actually a ghost or a shadow; he’s flesh and bone, and absolutely terrified of going to meet Grell for their second date.

It’s not the woman herself that’s putting him off; in fact, were it any other woman, he doubt he would have arranged a first date, never mind a follow-up. Yet there’s something about his crimson angel that’s gotten under his skin…

He scoffs aloud at the thought; fucking tattoos get under your skin. People just cling to you to get to where they want, then drop you like a sack of shit. Or worse still, they leech off of you, taking away everything that you are for their own selfish desires or twisted fantasies. In the end, Grell will be no different than any other person Dominic has met in his mistake of a life.

That doesn’t stop a part of him hoping that she is different though.

That’s why he’s waking through his family tomb, as he always does at night, with a basket full of food in one hand and a well-work blanket under the other. A picnic is a tomb isn’t what most would call a conventional date, but fuck being conventional. Besides, what’s the point of putting effort in if she’s going to turn on him the moment she realises he’s not the ‘man’ she thinks he is. Or rather, she’ll find out he’s exactly the man she thinks he is… just without the generals that allow society to validate him as such.

Dominic is tempted to sack the whole thing off and go home. He really must be some kind of masochist if he’s willing to let someone break him again. He should be staying as far away from this woman as possible.

His heart seems to hurt at the thought, but he writes it off as indigestion.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Grell is already there when he arrives, much as she was for their first date. Her outfit isn’t too dissimilar to the one she wore last time; the main difference is that her corset is black with red trims, rather than fully red. Dominic internally berates himself for keeping her waiting again.

His date seems to share the sentiment. ‘I see you’re fashionably late again. Perhaps I should actually give you a time in future, should I even allow you another date.’ Allow? It’s him that’s allowing this… isn’t it?

Dominic smirks. ‘There was me thinking it was supposed to be a woman’s prerogative to be late. Think we should switch places?’ He has to fight the urge to punch the crypt wall. Great, why doesn’t he just say ‘look at me, I was born a female! That’s why I’m always late to our dates! Oh, but please don’t judge me, I swear it’s a real thing, not a cry for help or a phase. Do you wanna plan out a third date now, or should we skip straight the part where we skip merrily down the isle?’ He’s such an idiot.

If Grell has made that mental leap though, she doesn’t show it. Instead she lets out a small laugh. ‘Honey, there’s no way you could pull of this outfit, and there’s no way I’d be caught dead in yours. Let’s just stick to our assigned roles for the evening, and I’ll try to forgive your tardiness.’ Well, Dominic dodged a bullet there, that’s for sure. All he needs to do now is completely sway the conversation away from this topic and onto something more… neutral.

The words that leave Dominic’s mouth next do so of their own volition. ‘I bet I could pull off that outfit. It would look lovely against my bedroom floor.’ Actual fear spreads through Dominic like wildfire, as the words his mouth chose to spoke dance around his head. This date was the worst idea he’s ever had, and it’s not even begun yet!

There’s a pregnant pause as the air between the two grows heavy. Neither of them want to speak first; Dominic holds his tongue for fear of making it worse, and Grell’s silence is, in Dominic’s mind, a curtesy period, giving him the opportunity to take the words back.

Grell seems to lose patience first, as she breaks the silence. ‘I would tell you to buy me dinner first, but since you’ve already done that, I’ll just have to tell you that I’m not the kind of woman that jumps into bed with men on the second date. If you want to see this outfit on your bedroom floor, you’ll have to do something spectacular.’ She gives him a sultry wink, and Dominic suddenly can’t think straight. Fuck, now his libido is going to start running the show…

Thankfully, he manages to keep it under control, as he thinks of something to say that’ll hopefully discharge any sexual tension in the air. 

Taking a deep breath, Dominic lets out a groan of faux disappointment. ‘Damn it, I knew I should have learnt how to juggle!’ Grell bursts out laughing straight away, several decibels too loud for their location. As much as he likes that laugh (he does?), he can’t risk them being found; this is his only route in and out of the house, after all.

Making a point of keeping the crypt door back with his hand (even though he doubts the door will slam shut when the only wind around is the breath coming from him and his date), Dominic gestures a still-giggling Grell inside, before shutting them both inside. 

In hindsight, he wishes he’d taken a few moments to set everything up properly before he said hello to Grell; he just couldn’t stop himself. He was drawn to her fiery locks like a moth to a flame, though he’ll never actually admit that… 

Grell’s laughter soon stops as she takes in her surroundings. ‘Cheery place you have here. I take it by the blanket and picnic blanket that this is our date location?’ She seems rather put out by the idea, and Dominic kicks himself again. He’s an absolute liability it seems…

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, he answers Grell’s guess. ‘That’s right. I mean, there’s fuck all to do in town really, and it’s peaceful here. I mean, if you really want we can go to the diner again. I just thought it would be nice to sit and chat for a bit. I liked talking with you last week. You seem… alright.’ And there it is. The one word guaranteed to kill the date. ‘Alright’ indeed. That’s even worse than saying she seems nice! Could he not think of a more flattering adjective? Shit, maybe a date focused on talking wasn’t the best idea after all. It’ll be a miracle if he doesn’t end up getting slapped!

Surprisingly, Grell doesn’t seem half as offended as he thought she would be. ‘Mm, ‘alright’ is it? I’ll take that. Better than what I usually get from the men I think are ‘alright’. I suppose a picnic in a crypt isn’t the worst date in the world. Just promise me you’ll take me somewhere more exciting next time? After all, I’m not your average woman; I do like a bit of danger in my life. I’m sure the two of us could find something to do in this town.’ With that, Grell grabs the blanket that Dominic had left rolled up by a stone epitaph, and spreads it out on the floor, before sitting on it with the kind of grace and decorum Dominic rarely sees in women these days. He hastens to follow suit, grabbing the basket full of food as he does. 

Grell’s face light up again. ‘Mm, I wonder what goodies you’ve back for us tonight. I warm you now though, I’m positively ravenous tonight. My department head has been running me ragged for centuries now; our last date was the first day off I’ve had in over a hundred years.’ Dominic drops the basket in shock. A hundred… well, fuck. 

Grell giggles at the shock written all over Dominic’s face. ‘Oh, don’t worry Dommie darling, I maybe a little older than most women, but I still have the body of someone a fraction of my age. Not that I’m entirely happy with it…’ there’s an undercurrent in Grell’s words that Dominic would have normally picked up on, if he wasn’t freaking out…

He shakes his head, as if doing so with organise his thoughts. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work, so he just ends up spilling them out instead. ‘A hundred… fuck me running, how the fuck? You look… damn. Can I… is it rude… how old are you exactly?’ Nice, now he’s asking a lady her age! How much does it cost to have ones mouth sewn shut these days?

Grell’s face takes on a thoughtful expression. ‘Now, let me see. I was alive before the world went to hell in a handcart, although that much should be obvious. I’m one of the only people in existence that can confirm the identity of Jack The Ripper, though that’s a story for any other day. Let’s see… you know, I fear I lost count somewhere along the way. Let’s just call it three hundred and some change.’ What. The. Actual. Fuck?! But she, she doesn’t… Dominic begins to feel rather faint.

Dominic’s internal meltdown seems to amuse Grell somewhat, as she keeps talking. ‘Oh, don’t look so shocked. I’m hardly the eldest of my kind. No, that honour goes to the Undertaker, who ended up dropping off the map after hooking up with a human woman. Last I heard, the reapers messed with her timeline, so she can’t die. She’s probably about my age now. Considerably younger than her husband, whom I’m pretty sure has been a reaper since the dawn of town itself. It certainly feels that way, at least; all the traditional images of the grim reaper are based off of him.’ Dominic is finding this situation too much. In his wildest dreams, he never imagined… he takes a deep breath, trying to reason with himself. After all, he knows damn well that she’s a reaper; is her prolonged lifespan really so hard to get over?

Apparently tired of teasing him, Grell tries to shift the focus off of her own age. ‘So, what about you? I’d say early twenties if I had to, although you do carry yourself like a man twice that age. Am I close?’ Grell’s tactic works wonders, as the dog threatening to pull Dominic into unconsciousness seems to lift.

Dominic shrugs. ‘I’m eighteen. Just turned legal. Sorry if that puts you off.’ He suddenly starts to feel embarrassed. As if a woman with all her years of experience is going to want a man that’s technically never had sex; that part of him is dead, along with ‘her’ experiences.

The smile that graces Grell’s lips is a salacious one. ‘Oh, but there’s something nice about dating a younger man. They’re always so… enthusiastic. Not like the men my age who think that they’re sex gods just because they got off with a woman half a century ago. No, your age doesn’t put me off, but I must ask; have you ever put your legal status to good use?’ Why did she have to ask that, of all things? This isn’t something he wants to get into right now…

Hoping that she won’t pry if he gives her a firm answer, Dominic tries his best to create such a thing. ‘Sort of, but that was a lifetime ago. I can’t talk about it. It… it’s too personal.’ There, that seems reasonable. Unless of course Grell decides to bore in anyway…

To his surprise, Grell reaches out for him, placing a hand on his shoulder. ‘You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable. However, you should know that I’m here to listen, should you ever want to talk. I have a few personal things of my own, too. In fact, I think everyone does. You never have to reveal them, but sometimes, it helps, if you know you can trust the person you’re revealing yourself to. In my case, I’ve opened up to many different people, all of which I felt like I could trust. Every time I did… well, I fear their reactions weren’t exactly civil. 

‘After being judged and rejected so many times in my life, I made a promise to myself; I will never be one of those people. You can tell me anything and I’ll never judge you. You can tell me you went around killing puppies with a butter knife, and I won’t bat an eyelid. I’ve seen so many dark thing in my extended lifetime, but you don’t seem all that shady to me. Even if your profession really should be setting off several alarm bells.’ Dominic and Grell stare into each other’s eyes, and for a moment, time means nothing. For the first time in so long, Dominic is beginning to think that he can trust this strange yet utterly beautiful woman. Now, if he could only close the distance between their faces, he could press his lips against hers…

As he leans in to do just that, something shatters underneath him; he’s knelt on the picnic basket, shattering it in twos the tension from earlier seem to return for a moment, and then…

Laughter. Not just from Grell this time, but from both of them. For whatever reason, neither of them seem to care that their date has just shattered under the weight of Dominic’s leg. Not even Dominic, who has spent most of their time worrying about messing everything up, seems to care anymore. It just feels like the cherry on top of a beautifully disastrous date.

When they calm down, it’s Grell that speaks first. ‘Well, at least you’ve had a ‘smash’ing time.’ Oh, it’s puns is it? Two can play at that game.

Dominic’s retort is instantaneous. ‘I hate to ‘break’ it to you, but that was our dinner.’ 

Grell giggles. ‘Hm, do you think it ‘wood’ be worth trying to salvage everything?’ 

It takes Dominic a few seconds to come up with the next one. ‘We could try, but we’ll have to go ‘halves’ on what we do save.’ 

There’s a pause, before Grell retorts again. ‘Well, at least we didn’t opt to eat out; then you’d be asking me to ‘split’ the bill.’ 

Dominic thinks he has her now. ‘If I did, would you ‘break’ up with me?’ There’s a pause. ‘Oh fuck, I already used ‘break’, didn’t I? Damn it…’ another pause, although this one seems to last longer. 

Dominic is about to start up again, when Grell interrupts. ‘’Break up with me’? Are we an item then?’ The moment he gets home, Dominic is looking into that mouth sewing procedure. Nothing ever seems to come out right…

He now has a choice to make; does he tell her it was just a turn of phrase, and risk upsetting her? Or does he tell her he meant it, and risk getting hurt himself? Normally, the answer would be clear; self-preservation is the key. However, as he stares into the eyes of his date once more, he decides to make himself truly vulnerable for the first time in years.

Dominic nods. ‘I’d like us to be. I mean, I’m probably going to keep asking you out anyhow. At least if we’re a thing I know you’ll be less likely to tell me to go fuck myself.’ For now, he adds in his mind. When she finds out the truth about him though…

Grell beams at him, her teeth almost luminous in the dark of the crypt. ‘I like the sound of that, Dommie Dearest. It’ll be nice having a man I can call my own.

‘Now, I fear I should probably dash off now. I didn’t actually ask for the night off tonight; if my boss asks, you never saw me. Not that Willy even cares where I am…’ despite having never met the man, Dominic has a strong desire to punch this ‘Willy’ in the face for such cold indifference (not that he’s much better on that front). First things first though…

Dominic sighs. ‘For the final time, it’s ‘Dominic’. If you don’t start using it, I’ll have to think up an unfortunately nickname for you. How does TinkerGrell sound? Or GrellyBean?’ Grell screws up her nose, giving Dominic his answer.

With that, the pair stand, broken picnic basket left on the floor. As they’re standing up, Dominic catches sight of Grell’s shoes for the first time. They’re a fine looking pair of shoes for sure; jet black high heels that are laced by crimson silk at the front. He’s certain they’re a custom pair, as he’s never seen a pair quite like them.

There’s one more detail that makes him certain they’re custom.

On the back of the heels, in the exact shade of red as the laces, is a symbol he’s intimately familiar with; it’s the transsexual symbol.

Is she… like him?

He’s about to ask, but thinks better of it. Miraculously, this date has turned out okay, and he doesn’t want to ruin his string of good luck…

Grell turns around at the door, flashing Dominic a killer smile. ‘So then, same time next week? I’ll tell you now that, as it’s our third date, you’ll qualify for a kiss if you do something truly spectacular. Here’s a little hint for you; I simply adore the colour red.’ No shit. Is that why her hair, outfit, and general persona are based around it? He never would have guessed…

Before he can retort, Grell disappears into the night, not even waiting for a conformation.

Dominic sighs again; one of these days she’ll learn to wait for him to answer her.

With no other plans for the evening, and with his head already turning over tonight’s events, Dominic cack-handedly bundles up the broken picnic basket with the blanket, slings it over his shoulder, and begins his walk back through the catacombs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope it was worth the delay. Let me know what you think ^.^


	5. Act Four: Truth Will Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> So, here we have chapter four. I would have finished it yesterday, but I was too busy living out a dream I had as a teenager. That sounds way more exciting than it is (unless you’re me), but there we have it.
> 
> Right, here it is!

You know, Dominic really must stop measuring time as ‘the last time Grell was here’. 

It seems like a pointless task, given that the woman in question is like a rose; beautiful to look at, but her thorns have a habit of embedding themselves under Dominic’s skin, a permanent reminder of her existence. Honestly, he’s only known her for a few weeks, he shouldn’t be feeling this way.

Yet there is something about her that Dominic can’t ignore, something that seems to tug on his very soul (blacked and hard as it may be). Perhaps it’s because she’s a kindred spirit, if those shoes of hers are anything to go by…

That’s something else he can’t shake off. What if Grell is just like he is? What if she was born in the wrong body, too? It seems like an unlikely coincidence, meeting a woman that shares his biological misfortune, but it’s not not impossible. After all, she’s humanoid at the very least, even if he’s not clued up on reaper biology; it seems likely that transsexuality must exist in the reaper world. 

Whatever. Thinking about the fact that his (and he can’t believe he’s actually saying this word) girlfriend is a grim reaper that’s over three hundreds years old hurts his head. Even moreso than his outfit hurts his eyes…

After her comment about loving red at the end of their last date, Dominic did something he’s never done before; he bought a t-shirt that isn’t black. Nope, the t-shirt he’s currently wearing is a deep red, and he already regrets buying it. It just… it isn’t him. Grell may be able to pull off red, but him… it’s black or it’s nothing, no compromise. He really must think Grell is special.

Sighing, he turns away from the mirror, hating his own image. Even though the red isn’t exactly glaring, it still makes him feel uncomfortable. He’s used to being a shadow, hard to pick out against the night. He’s hasn’t felt this conspicuous since…

No, not tonight. He doesn’t want to think about that tonight. Tonight is supposed to be a nice night, full of… well, looking at buildings and shit. 

Yeah, Dominic ran out of date ideas after the two. Well, he didn’t exactly run out as such, it’s just that most of his ideas are either impossible to do without drawing attention to himself (as much as he doesn’t mind being seen with Grell on his arm, he doesn’t like the idea of Grell getting dragged into an arrest or an impromptu organ snatching), or straight up illegal (again, arrests are not good when you’re trying to earn a kiss (not that he’s trying to do that. Definitely not. He’s not been thinking about Grell’s comment at all…)). As much as Grell might not mind danger, it would still make the date less about romance, and that would suck. Even if Dominic isn’t a romantic by nature, even he understands that dates should be about flowers and shit.

Speaking of flowers, Dominic almost forgets to pick up the bunch he ‘bought’ for Grell earlier (cutting them out in the wilds of someone’s back garden counts as buying, right?). Red roses, the one flower that symbolises Grell above all others. Though thinking about it, it’s the same for him, though he’s more of a Black Rose; or a blue one, hence his tattoo.

With the flowers picked up from their temporary home (a chipped glass full of water), Dominic heads to his ancestral tomb, where he’s certain Grell will be waiting for him.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

When he reaches his destination, Dominic almost fainted in shock; Grell isn’t there.

Panic begins to weigh heavy in his gut; has she forgotten? Has she finally grown tired of him and his awkward company? He hopes not, but how can he tell? What if she just doesn’t want to be near him anymore…

Suddenly, he hears a noise coming from the side of the tomb. By the time he gets there, Grell has appeared, but something seems… off. Her eyes, despite being hidden as always by her glasses, seem to have a red tint to them, as if…

Has she been crying?

Dominic doesn’t know what to do. Does he give her a hug? An awkward pat on the shoulder? He knows that back in the day, if anyone saw him crying, all he wanted was to be left alone. Is Grell the same?

No, she can’t be. Grell’s a woman, isn’t she? And women like being comforted? That’s it, he should comfort her! Even if it’s just a few words, it’s better than nothing! 

Still not knowing exactly what to say, Dominic just walks over to Grell and opens his mouth, hoping that his brain will form words. ‘It the thought of a third date with me really that bad?’ Okay, that could have gone worse actually. Not too serious, but not too jovial. Dominic is getting good at this!

Grell snorts, a stray tear falling down her cheek. ‘As if. At least you seem to enjoy my company. Alas, it’s that boss of mine getting me down as always. It’s just not fair! How am I suppose to reap one hundred souls, fight a demon singlehanded, AND complete a report in six hours? Most Reapers can’t do that in twelve hours, never mind half the time! Yet somehow I managed to do it in six and a half, but that STILL wasn’t good enough for Will. Oh no! He went on and on about how useless I am, and forbade me from coming out tonight. Well, fuck him. I worked so hard to get everything done today, I’m not losing out on my reward for failing to meet an unreasonable task!’ Shit, Dominic really is gonna have to kick some ass if he ever meets Will. From the sounds of it, he’s a pencil pusher anyhow. Maybe one day he’ll find him and push those pencils right up his…

Dominic clears his throat. ‘What a cunt. If I were you, I’d have done what I could in the six hours, and told him to fuck off. He should be grateful that you worked the extra time needed to get everything done, not pissed off because you couldn’t stick to his stupid agenda. Anyway, that’s enough tears for now I think. As much as you love red, it doesn’t look right on your eyes like that. How about you have these instead?’ He offers Grell the roses, hoping that she actually likes flowers.

Grell accepts them immediately, her persona brightening in an instant. ‘Oh Dominic, they’re beautiful. And your shirt, too! You really have made my night so much better already. Thank you so much.’ She sniffs the flowers deeply, and Dominic’s heart begins to race. He had no idea flowers and a shitty t-shirt would make her smile so much. He’ll have to try it more often, if only for her…

Dominic fidgets nervously on the spot. ‘Yeah, well, you’re worth the effort I guess. I’m just sorry seeing my sorry ass is the highlight of your day. Although, if you are ever having a shitty night, you can come and cry to me if you want to. I never know what to say, but I’ve got pretty broad shoulders. If you need them, you can use them.’ That’s not an offer he’s ever given before, but then again, he’s never had a girlfriend before. He’d probably offer Graverobber the same, but since he’s never seen the man with so much as hay fever, it would be rather redundant…

At his words, Grell perks up further, her tears all but dried up. ‘Worth it, am I? You must really want this kiss if you’re saying things like that. 

‘Speaking of which, I hope you have something special planned, because it takes more than flowers to get me excited.’ Oh, but he does have something special planned. It’s not exactly illegal, but it’s hardly common either… 

Dominic gesture in the direction of town, and the two head off, both eager to see where the night will take them.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dominic takes Grell down an alleyway, one where he often plies his trade. He’s hoping that none of the scalpel sluts will be here tonight; he did warn them to stay away tonight. 

Unfortunately, a couple of his regulars seemed to have ignored his warning; they’re stood just inside the alleyway, waiting for a fix.

The first of the women approaches him slowly, her hips swaying from side-to-side. Dominic thinks she’s trying to seduce him, like she does most nights. As if he would go anywhere near her! He actually has standards, as his date clearly shows. Maybe he should just set Grell loose on this woman; Grell could kick her ass in seconds.

When he’s uncomfortably close to him, the woman speaks, her breath reeking of something deeply unpleasant. ‘Hey sugar, got any of the good stuff?’ How fucking dare she? He told everyone that he wasn’t dealing tonight! Who the fuck does she think she is?

Dominic’s answer is blunt, yet reflective of his emotions. ‘Fuck off, I’m busy.’ Why can’t these scalpel sluts give him the night off for once? It’s not like he’s the only dealer around; Graverobber isn’t that fair away, and he never takes a night off!

The woman undos a few buttons of her blouse, all but shoving her tits in his face. ‘Come on baby, I need it so bad. I’ll even let you fuck me for it. I’m twice the woman than that tranny you’re dating.’ How fucking dare she?! She comes here, demands drugs, then insults his date? That’s it.

Enraged, Dominic throws the woman against the alleyway wall, his hand tight around her throat. 

His voice is low, and laced with danger. ‘Say that again, and I’ll give you your Z. I’ll pump your whole body full of it, until you’re pissing blood and shitting out your organs. You think I’m kidding? Try me. I’ll stick my gun in your fucking eye!’ He backs off, allowing the woman to fall to the ground. She coughs a little before standing, glaring at Dominic.

Her friend helps her up, also glaring at Dominic. ‘You’re a fucking psycho! Come on, we’ll just hit up Graverobber instead. Then we’ll tell everyone to boycott this psychotic asshole.’ They walk off, staring daggers all the way. 

Dominic looks back at Grell, concerned that he’s fucked everything up. 

When he notices that she has tears in her eyes again, his heart stops beating.

He approaches Grell cautiously, at a total loss once again. What can he say to put this right? How can he explain that he’s not… well, alright, he is quite violent at times, but Grell doesn’t need to worry like that. He only lashed out to protect her honour! Well, that and he’s pissed his date is in ruins, but still!

Reluctantly, Dominic speaks again, worried that his words will be the death of this relationship. ‘I’m sorry you had to see that. I’m just… I’m pissed. I mean, it’s bad enough that she interrupted our date, but to call you… the word got to me. I just lost it. I’m sorry if my outburst frightened you. I’ll get it if you want to leave now.’ It’ll hurt, that much is certain. To find someone who might just be a perfect match, then to lose her… it hurts. It hurts, but he’s the master of hurt at this point. 

He should have never even tried.

Grell tries to stop her tears, but she doesn’t seem able. Instead she chokes out a few words, her feeble attempt to talk almost heartbreaking to witness. ‘It’s not-t… not that. You d-don’t… you’re not frightening. We… we… I need to tell you something.’ Dominic really hopes it’s what he thinks it is. He can deal with that no problem. He’d be more devastated if she told him she was gay or something…

Dominic nods. ‘Alright, but first, I’d like to show you something. Follow me?’ He’s uncertain if she will, but he can hope. God how he can hope…

Not waiting for an answer he’s already uncertain of, Dominic walks over to a nearby fire escape, and begins to climb it, scaling it until he reaches the flat roof of the building. For a moment, his heart stops again, as he realises that Grell hasn’t climbed up the fire escape behind him. That soon changes when Grell appears on the roof out of nowhere, as if she jumped up from the ground. 

Given her supernatural state of being, Dominic is almost certain that is what happened.

Dominic walks Grell a little further across the roof, and Grell gasps as she sees where he’s leading her.

After the glorious disaster that was their last date, Dominic thought he’d try the picnic idea again, but with a difference; instead of dining in, tonight they’ll be underneath the stars. They’ll be totally alone still though; this building is one of the few spots left that the Largos don’t patrol 24/7. They’ll have as much time as they need up here… though if it doesn’t go well, they’ll only need a moment.

Seeing Grell with her mouth agape pleases Dominic greatly, but he knows he still has one hell of a conversation ahead of him. So, he does the only the can do…

… he talks even more nonsense. ‘It was a bitch to set up, and I half expected a few twats to come and mess it up. But yeah, I thought we could try this picnic shit again. Can’t promise the basket won’t smash again or anything but… anyway, why don’t you sit down? You can say what you have to say then I guess.’ He’s afraid she’ll do just that. What if it really is something terrible? What if she’s really a super dedicated scalpel slut, or working undercover for Pavi or something? It doesn’t ever bare thinking about…

Grell does as suggested, placing her roses to one side before settling on the blanket. 

She doesn’t speak a word until Dominic joins her, and even then her words are hard to hear, quiet as they are. ‘I’m not what you think I am.’ Her voice breaks at the end, and Dominic reaches out to her without thinking, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Dominic’s answer is almost as quiet. ‘Are you not really a reaper?’ He’s pretty sure she is; it’s a fucking insane thing to lie about. Still, it’s the best question he can think of asking, given the circumstances…

Grell shakes her head. ‘No, it’s not that. I really am over three hundred years old, and I really am a reaper. It’s just… I’m sorry, it’s just so hard to say. You’ve been so nice to me, and you’ve made me feel more wanted than I have my whole life. I’m scared that you’ll hate me the moment you find out the truth.’ Dominic can feel blood rushing to his head, making him feel dizzy. All of that could easily point to Grell being transsexual, but he’s just not certain. I mean, having the trans symbol stamped on your shoes could be a wild new fashion trend he’s not aware of, or it could even be a brand logo. He has no way of knowing for sure…

Well, fuck it. If Grell is planning to drop a potentially destructive bombshell, Dominic may as well beat her to it. At least then she may not have to come clean at all…

Without so much as taking in a deep breath, Dominic blurts out his confession. 

‘I was born in a female body.’ 

There’s silence on the rooftop. Both parties look at each other, the weight of Dominic’s confession almost enough to suffocate him. What if he’s made a terrible mistake? What if she hates him? What if-

‘That makes one of us, then.’ Dominic could faint with relief right now. That really was all she wanted to say! If he wasn’t likely to get arrested or shot on sight of the authorities notice him, he’d should out his joy at the top of his lungs. 

As it is, all he can do is punch himself the rest of the way at Grell, pulling her into a tight hug. The reaper seems to fall to pieces in his arms, her tears soaking through Dominic’s shirt. He really doesn’t know what to do from here, so he just keeps on hugging, hoping that Grell will push him away when she’s had enough.

Sure enough, when Grell’s sobs die down, she pushes him away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Her ruined mascara makes her look a little like a panda, but Dominic doesn’t mind; it’s quite cute in a way.

After a few deep breaths, Grell regains her composure enough to speak. ‘I was so scared you’d hate me. I’ve been trying to think of a way to bring it up, but I couldn’t. We’ve had two wonderful dates now, and I was stupid and selfish enough to not tell you just so we could have a few more. I mean, I’m not totally masculine anymore. I managed to scrape together enough money to get my chest done, and I’m saving now for a full genital transplant. It’s going to take a few years to get there, but I suppose the benefit of never ageing is that time isn’t an issue. Or it wasn’t, until I met you. Now all I want is to be a woman you’re happy to call your own.’ Dominic is pretty damn happy with her the way she is, even if he’s not said that… yet.

Dominic shrugs. ‘To be honest, I don’t want anyone to call mine. People aren’t fucking objects, you can’t just own one (I know that all too well). You’re your own person, and that’s fine. Do I want you to stick around with me? Fuck yeah I do, for as long as you like I guess. I just hope the fact that I haven’t gotten my junk sorted out yet doesn’t put you off either. Not that I don’t have ways to fuck you like a champ, mind. Thought to be honest, I’d rather take it slow with you. You know, do more couple shit. We’ve got plenty of time to fuck later; you only get one chance to build a foundation for a relationship though.’ He thinks that’s something Grell will agree to. After all, he can’t imagine she’ll want to rush things either; it’s hard letting someone else touch the skin you don’t even want to be in.

Grell smiles at him. ‘That sounds wonderful, Dominic. I do so hate the idea of rushing things with you. I’d much rather take my time, and savour every last drop of the experience. I’d also like to know a little more about your past at some point, but not tonight. I think I’ve been emotional enough for both of us tonight. So, why don’t we eat our food, go back to your tomb, and see if you’ve earned yourself a kiss.’ Dominic heart begins to flutter, until…

Oh fuck.

Food.

He left the food on the table! He didn’t want to leave it on a roof for ages! The basket only has plates and cutlery in it! 

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Dominic goes bright pink as he comes clean to Grell. ‘Yeah… I left the food at home…’ another wave of silence descends upon them, until…. 

Both Grell and Dominic burst out laughing, a sound that seems to echo through the night.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

With no food to eat, Grell and Dominic had just picked up the picnic shit and gone back to the graveyard, though they had chosen to link arms this time.

By the time they make it back, Grell is grinning wickedly, as if she’s planning something truly devious.

Slightly concerned, Dominic questions her about it. ‘What’s got you smiling like the cat that got the canary?’ He would have said ‘cream’, but that’s a stupid metaphor. Cats are lactose intolerant, they wouldn’t be fucking smiling after getting cream, that’s for sure…

If such a thing is even possible, Grell’s smile widens. ‘Just thinking about if you deserve a kiss from me. On the one hand, you did commit the fatal sin of forgetting to bring food to a picnic. On the other, you are gorgeous, and these little mistakes you make are adorable. So I’ve decided that I will give you a kiss can after all. The only real thing to consider is where oh where am I going to plant it? Any suggestions, Dommie Dearest?’ Damn it, not these nicknames again! Dominic thought he’d gotten past this!

Well, two can play at that game… 

Dominic smirks. ‘I don’t know, Grellybean. My lips perhaps? Or my cheek? They seem like the sensible options.’ She could even go for his neck, if she’s feeling adventurous…

Stopping just outside the tomb, Grell steps into Dominic’s personal space, her lips only an inch or two away from his.

She flashes him a small smile. ‘Lips it is then.’ she says, before closing the distance between them.

The kiss is a gentle one, their lips barely touching at all. It’s still enough to light a spark in Dominic, who feels like someone has lit a fire in his bloodstream. Her lips feel like pure electricity, and he can feel every inch of his body calling out for hers.

All too soon, the kiss comes to an end. 

Grell’s smile has turned into a satisfied one. ‘There we are. Your reward. I feel like I should give you more, given that I lost you clients tonight. I’m impressed that one of them knew I was trans though. I pride myself on looking deliciously feminine at all times.’ Dominic is in total agreement with the delicious part. He can’t wait to taste her lips again…

He manages to regain his composure before answering. ‘Fuck that scalpel slut. She’s probably full of spunk and Zydrate by now, if she managed to find Graverobber. Though maybe I should tell him to cut her off too, to teach her a lesson.

‘As for you, I think you should be proud. You are a gorgeous woman indeed, and I’m lucky that you give me the time of day. You mean way more to me than any client, so I don’t care if I lose some of them defending you. 

‘That said, I think I lost at least two clients tonight, so if you’d like to kiss me again to make it ev-‘ he doesn’t even have to finish his sentence before Grell is on him again, her lips slightly more forceful this time. 

The second kiss lasts longer than the first, given Dominic enough time to pull their bodies closer together. He even manages to weave his hand into her hair, and he begins to consider deepening the kiss, before he feels something hard pressing into his lower body.

As soon as she realises what’s happened, Grell pushes Dominic away, and tries to hide her face in her hands, clearly ashamed of the way her body reacted to the kiss.

Dominic can’t help but chuckle slightly as he pulls her hands away, so that he can look her in the eyes. 

He tries to hide his mirth when he speaks. ‘I don’t know what you’re ashamed of, Grell. With your heart beating so fast, and arousal flowing through you, your clit hardening was inevitable. I’m willing to bet your tits are just the same! Don’t worry though, you’re not the only one; kissing you makes me hard as a rock.’ He’s temped to drag her hand down so she can grab his crotch, but he thinks better of it. He did tell her he wanted to hold off on sexual contact, after all…

Grell looks in awe of Dominic for a few moments, before making a show of fanning her face with her hands, trying to cool down her flushed cheeks.

She acts mildly affronted when she speaks. ‘Well, it’s not very ladylike, is it?! I’m not some teenage girl anymore, I’m a woman! I should be able to control myself around a handsome man! What do you do to me, Sir?’ Oh, but there’s a lot he’d like to do…

Like stop himself thinking about sex.

Dominic puts his hand on his heart. ‘It was highly improper of me to draw attention to it. I should have ignored it completely, rather than risk causing you embarrassment. Can you ever forgive me?’ He puts his hands together in mock contrition, though doesn’t go so far as to fall on his knees and beg; too many bad memories.

Grell seems to take his words into consideration. ‘Hm… well, now that you mention it, how about next week you cook me diner at your place?’ She wants to come to his house?! But it’s a shithole! He barely ever has time to clean it, and even if he did, he basically only needs his bedroom, bathroom, and occasionally the kitchen. It’s hardly fit for a woman there! Then again, if it’s what she really wants…

Dominic nods, trying to hide his panic. ‘Meet me here the same time as usual, and I’ll see what I can do.’ Maybe he should go to Graverobber, ask if he knows any discreet clean up crews…

Grell seems overjoyed. ‘Perfect! I shall see you here next week then. Oh, and Dommie?’ Damn it, not again!

Rolling his eyes, Dominic answers with a ‘yes, Grellybean?’

Grell rolls her eyes this time, finally catching on to him using a stupid nickname. ‘Expect a lot more where those kisses came from.’ With that, she disappears into the night, leaving Dominic on his own once more. 

When he’s certain she’s gone, Dominic smiles to himself, before practically skipping through his family tomb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so, this chapter did push me a bit into the ‘Did I get it right?’ territory, so please, let me know if I did. It’s never too late to swap out the odd word and stuff.
> 
> Right then, I hope I didnt mess up, and I’ll see you next time


	6. Intermission: Cleaners For Hire?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey,
> 
> New chapter is here, hooray! I am posting it here today!
> 
> Right, here it is then. Enjoy ^.^

The night after his date, Dominic does something that he hasn’t done for years now.

He visits Graverobber for help.

Not that he hasn’t seen Graverobber in years; the two men cross paths regularly, both for personal and professional reasons. The last time they saw each other was about a week before Grell made her debut in Dominic’s life, and the main reason Dominic hasn’t paid him a visit since is because he knows in his gut that he’s going to get the shit ripped out of him…

Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Dominic wasn’t joking when he thought about hiring a cleaning team; his house bloody needs it! So, technically, you could call this visit tonight a business one; just not his normal business.

Taking a deep breath, Dominic finds himself face-to-face with one of Graverobber’s haunts. The man moves from location to location seemingly sporadically, but it’s always easy to find him; you just need to follow the scent of Amber Sweet’s noxious excuse for perfume, and the underlying whiff of bitch. 

Well, that and the fact that his schedule only appears to be sporadic. His pattern is predictable as hell though, especially if you’re one of the few people who associate with him on the regular. Given how many years Dominic spent at his side learning his craft, he’s learnt how to read him better than anyone.

Hell of a lot better than the authorities, too.

Not wanting to delay the visit any longer, Dominic disappears into the alleyway, turns a corner, and finds himself looking directly at his former mentor’s head.

Both heads, in fact.

Yeah, Dominic really should have announced his presence rather than just walking straight into the sight before him.

Graverobber is leaning against the alleywall, his eyes completely transfixed on the lower half of his body. More specifically, he’s staring at his ‘other head’, which is currently siding in and out of some random Scalpel Slut’s lips. He has a hand in her hair, controlling her movements as he fucks into her mouth. 

The sight brings back a lot of bad memories for Dominic, but he tries to force them away; he’s not the one of the floor, and the woman that is looks old enough and stupid enough to make her own mistakes. Fuck knows what would make a woman suck off a stranger in an alleyway for drugs though. In fact, Dominic doesn’t get how people can afford ridiculous and unnecessary surgical procedures, but can’t afford an illegal shot of Z. Neither he nor Graverobber charge Largo prices for Zydrate; they’d go out of business if they did. Still, people love a bargain, and in a world when fucking everything is currency…

… some people will happily accept fucking as currency.

Not wanting to waste too much time this evening (he’s planning to replenish his supply tonight), Dominic clears his throat, causing Graverobber to thrust a little too deeply in surprise, the woman on the receiving end chocking as a result.

Graverobber strokes the woman’s hair apologetically, but doesn’t tell her to leave. On the contrary, his movements speed up, as if he wants to get it over with. 

It only takes a few seconds for him to finish, shoving himself inside the woman’s mouth as his eyes roll up into his head in pleasure. 

When he’s done, he pushes the woman away, tucks himself in, and turns to Dominic, finally showing him fully acknowledgement. ‘Dominic. I had a feeling you’d be coming to see me.’ He grins, and Dominic cringes. Looks like he already knows about Grell…

The woman on the floor finally catches her breath, and looks up at Graverobber, her voice still slightly hoarse. ‘Did I earn my fix yet? Or do you want me to suck off your friend, too?’ As fucking if. Dominic doesn’t want her mouth anywhere near him; he knows EXACTLY where it’s been, and there’s no way he wants on him!

Dominic’s disgust must show on his face, as a single look from Graverobber seems to give him the answer he needs. ‘Er… my friend here prefers fucking to sucking. You’re off the hook. Now, where do you want it?’ Dominic rolls his eyes. As much as he respects the man, his love of innuendo in these situations is dreadful at best, and deplorable at worst…

The woman unbuttons her blouse, showing Graverobber her bare breasts. ‘Somewhere around here, please. I’m getting my tits done again. I’m going to be a double F cup the next time you see me.’ If there’s one instant turn off Dominic has when it comes to woman, it’s fake tits. It’s so unnecessary. Natural breasts are so soft and wonderful to touch, but silicone breasts are hard and horrible to touch. He’s hoping that the breast treatment Grell mentioned yesterday was hormone-based rather than implants; he’ll take it either way when it comes to Grell it course, but he would definitely be ecstatic if her breasts are real…

Graverobber delivers the drug with a swift zap, before sending his client on her way. She whispers something to him before she leaves, but Dominic is too far away to hear what; it’s probably her asking for a follow up at some point.

With business finally concluded, Graverobber addresses Dominic again. ‘So… how’s tricks?’ He’s got a smug look on his face, one that Dominic knows all too well…

Rolling his eyes, Dominic answers his weak attempt at a casual question. ‘Pretty great actually. I guess you already knew that though, huh?’ Word seems to reach Graverobber before it reaches anyone else in this damn place. Still, at least Graverobber is unlikely to use said information to Dominic’s detriment…

Graverobber’s smug grin transforms into a smirk. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist trying out that prosthetic of yours forever. What’s her name?’ He’s keeping it civil so far, but Dominic knows what’s next…

Regardless, Dominic relents; he’s come him for information, and lying to Graverobber isn’t the way to get it. ‘Grell. Her name’s Grell.’ Dominic can feel himself blushing at the mere mention of her name, like a teenager admitting his crush.

The blush isn’t lost on Graverobber, who laughs a little before talking. ‘’Grell’, huh? Unusual name. Almost as unusual as finding a natural red head. I take it her hair is dyed?’ Wha…? How?!

Dominic has to resist the urge to go completely slack jaw as he answers. ‘For your information, she’s natural. How the fuck do you know what she looks like though?!’ Has Graverobber been spying on him?! He fucking hopes not; if his former mentor knew just how awkward his first few dates with Grell were, he’d never let him live it down!

Graverobber leans against the wall of the alley casually, his voice suddenly sounding disinterested. ‘I had a couple of Scalpel Sluts pay me a visit last night. They practically threw themselves at me, and I was about to take them up on it when they mentioned you. Said they’d seen you with ‘a trampy-looking redhead with pancakes for tits, and a bad case of resting bitch face.’ I told them to fuck off after that. I mean, I can’t say if there description was accurate or not, but no one talks about my pal’s squeeze like that. Sounded like they were jealous mostly. I bet Grell’s a stunner.’ Dominic has to fight the urge to punch Graverobber in the face. Even if he’s just repeating what he heard, even hearing those words is too much for Dominic to bare. Those sluts had better hope they never see him again…

Noticing Dominic’s distress, Graverobber tries to calm the situation. ‘I’m cutting them off, Dominic. They won’t be getting Z around here anymore. I’ll make sure everyone knows to ignore any shit that comes from their mouths. Why don’t you tell me what Grell really looks like? Just, spare me anything past what she looks like with her clothes on; I’d rather not have to picture you fucking her.’ That’s rich, given that he had his cock down someone’s throat not ten minutes ago…

Still, it does what Graverobber has intended; Dominic feels himself becoming much calmer as thoughts of Grell fill his head. ‘She’s a redhead, that much is certain. She’s damn tall too, we can make eye contact without too much hassle. Her eyes are… unique. I’ve never seen a pair quite like them. She’s got this wicked grin too, and when she smiles at me… it feels right, you know? I feel like I’m just any other man. She makes me feel like a man.’ Has she really come to mean so much in such a short time?

Graverobber shrugs. ‘Last I checked, you are a man, but I get what you mean. I know I said nothing too full on, but come on, Dominic. Eyes? Smile? You can buy them for pocket change these days. She’s got to have more going for her than that.’ 

Dominic retorts immediately. ‘You can buy fucking anything these days if you’ve got cash. What is it that you want to hear? That she’s got a huge rack, a nice ass, and a tight cunt? It that really all that matters to you?’ He can feel himself growing irate again, but makes no effort to control it this time. Fuck getting his help if all he cares about is superficial shit.

There’s a moment of tension, before Graverobber breaks it with a chuckle. ‘You can buy those, too, you know. I was actually trying to ask if she’s been… considerate, given your history. She’s not tried to rush you or anything, has she? I mean, you and I both know I’ll fuck anything, but you’re not like that. I’m just looking out for a friend.’ Dominic begins to feel rather stupid. Still, it’s not like Graverobber made it obvious what he was asking; if Dominic were anyone else, the three particulars Dominic listed would have all been things Graverobber asked about.

Still, even those questions have awkward connotations… 

Dominic takes a deep breath. ‘We haven’t… we just haven’t, not yet. I haven’t told her about Lolita, and she hasn’t tried to fuck me. We’re just… taking it slow for a while, testing the waters. I mean, she knows that I don’t have all my parts in order yet, but that doesn’t matter to her. So, I guess that’s your answer.’ It’s about all Dominic can say without telling him everything. For Grell’s sake, he’s going to avoid mentioning that she’s also trans; he’d hate if she told all her friends his private business.

Graverobber looks confused. ‘If you haven’t banged her, how does she know about your parts? Did you just shove it out there before you let her get too close? I hope not. You’ve got a lot going for you, Dominic. You’ve got to stop letting your past control your future. You don’t have to explain yourself or your body to anyone ever again. I bet Grell didn’t give a shit, however that conversation went down.’ Oh, but she gave several shits; just not in the way Graverobber thinks.

For the briefest of moments, a blush seems to colour Dominic’s cheeks, before he regains his composure. ‘She kissed me actually. Twice.’ Oh, and what Dominic wouldn’t give to be doing that right now. Perhaps Grell wouldn’t be averse to more kissing when he sees her next…

Graverobber whistles. ‘Damn. Two kisses? I think she likes you.’ He’s gone back to looking unbearably smug, something that infuriates Dominic once again. Someday he’ll say something to wipe that smirk right off…

Now would be a good time to bring up his request actually, given where this conversation has ended up. ‘I know she likes me. So much so that she’s asked if she can visit my house.’ Well, mansion really, but Dominic isn’t one to talk about it when it comes to Graverobber. As a matter of fact, he’s only been in there twice, and both those times were a lifetime ago.

Dominic gets his wish, at least; Graverobber’s smug grin is replaced by shock. ‘You’re actually letting her into your sanctuary? I have got to meet her now. Double date sometime?’ Dominic shoots him a raised eyebrow. ‘Maybe not. Still, if she’s asking to come to your house, I’m not sure she that intent on taking it slow. I bet you all the money I have that she’s planning to have you half naked at least by the time she leaves.’ That thought both excites and panics Dominic at the same time. As much as he’d love Grell to take off his shirt… he really doesn’t want her to see what’s underneath…

Dominic shrugs. ‘Well yeah. I really like her, Graverobber. I’m just trying my best not to fuck this up. That’s why I need your help.’ Dominic almost chokes on that last word. He hates asking for things from anyone, especially Graverobber. He already owes him his life and his profession; he doesn’t want to get further in debt with him if he can help it. 

However, on this occasion, he really can’t help it.

The shocked expression on Graverobber’s face turns into a licentious smile. ‘You’ve come to the right man there. Let me give you a few tips. Never shove your hand straight down into a woman’s underwear; it’s ruin, and it’ll only make her feel uncomfortable. Your first stop should always be her neck. You kiss that in just the right way, and you won’t have to shove your hand anywhere; she’ll drag it there. Now, about the prober way to stimulate her nipples…’ Dominic is going to kill Graverobber. Oh, yes. He bloody means it this time. How come when Dominic dropped him a few signals back in the day, he clammed right up, but the moment Dominic wants to get close to someone else, his mouth is spewing forth shit like a busted drain?!

Smacking his face against an open palm, Dominic growls out words through gritted teeth, his face now the same colour as Grell’s hair. ‘I know how to fuck, you jackass! I need the name of that cleaning company you used to hide the evidence of that overdose a couple months back. My whole house a shit hole, and there’s no way I’m letting Grell anywhere near it in its current state.’ Dominic is beginning to wish he’d never come to Graverobber for help. If he’d just stayed at home and done the cleaning himself, he could have cleaned at least half a room by now or something…

The laugh that comes out of Graverobber echoes through the alleyway, and Dominic begins to panic that some’ll hear it and investigate. They’ll have to get moving soon, lest they get caught…

When he calms down, Graverobber finally speaks. ‘Ha, that’s all? Damn, Dominic, I thought I’d have to talk you through the birds and the balls, now that you’re a real man. I’ll have the cleaners at yours at dawn. Same entrance as always, yeah?’ Dominic was hardly going to suggest a small army of men dedicated to removing criminal evidence should visit via the front door…

Dominic nods. ‘That’s all I was after. See you later, Graverobber.’ He turns, ready to leave, only to be stopped when Graverobber calls out his name.

When Dominic looks back, Graverobber speaks. ‘Look, it might not seem like it, but I do care about you, you know. If this ‘Grell’ woman breaks your heart, let me know; I have contacts that’ll break her face.’ Dominic has to fight the urge to get protective again; Graverobber is just looking out for him.

However, his words do tickle Dominic on a level. 

He smirks as he answers. ‘You haven’t met her yet.’ Dominic has no doubt that Grell could kill anyone Graverobber sent to rough her up. If they could even find her…

Dominic heads back home without another glance in Graverobber’s direction, happy that at least one problem is now sorted.

Now he just has to worry about his next date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any good? Let me know ^.^ expect a lot of Grell and Dominic fluff in the next chapter, as well as some heavy talk and maybe a touch of heavy petting…
> 
> Until next time!


	7. Act Five: A Fond Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! You see the tags above? They all apply to this here chapter, as Dominic’s past life shall be discussed. THIS IS YOUR ONE WARNING. Read on at your discretion.
> 
> Right then, over to the story ^.^

It’s the day of Dominic’s forth date, and he can honestly say that he’s not been this terrified in a long time.

He has no idea how this date is going to turn out. He’s at least had a few ideas of how things could play out on the previous dates; even if they didn’t play out exactly as expected. This time however, he has no preconceptions or ideas. All he knows is that Grell is coming, and he has no idea what to cook!

At least his house is cleaner now. Graverobber really came through with that cleaning crew. Dominic’s den looks like new! Now, if only he new a decent chef…

As it is, Dominic has been tending to his stove for about ten minutes, trying to figure out how to cook spaghetti. 

It’s not that Dominic can’t cook exactly; it’s that he’s never been taught how to do so. Sure, he can rustle up a quick meal or two, but he doubts a plate of beans on toast would be considered date food. It is kind of red though… kind of.

Tonight is going to be a disaster. 

Well, that’s not exactly a new thing. Every date has been a little disastrous so far, and Grell has kept coming back for more. Dominic is just hoping his cooking won’t be the final straw for her…

Well, it’s now officially too late to turn back now; it’s time for Dominic to fetch his date.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dominic leads Grell through his family tomb with a great deal of trepidation, as if he’s afraid she’ll disappear into the darkness.

Although Grell is agile enough not to lose her footing, she still seems slightly put out by the experience. ‘Remind me, if you would, exactly what is wrong with the front door?’ Damn, he should have known this would come up sooner or later. How can he explain it without digging up the past…

Dominic shrugs casually. ‘Habit, I guess. Besides, most people around here know my place as ‘that sickly orphan’s house.’ They’d call someone to arrest or kill us if they caught us ‘breaking in’ so to speak. This way saves a lot of hassle.’ There, that should sate Grell’s curiosity. Unless all it’s done is whet it…

A thoughtful hum is his answer. ‘Fair enough. I suppose that such a thing would rather ruin our evening. Speaking of which, I hope you cook as well as you kiss, because I am ravenous.’ Shit, she’s in for a whole world of disappointment then…

Dominic does his best to muster up some kind of bravado. ‘I can’t promise that. What I can promise however is that it’ll be just as hot.’ Fuck, he’s shouldn’t have said that. He really is a useless flirt…

Grell smiles salaciously at his comment. ‘In that case, lead on.’ 

The rest of the journey takes place in comfortable silence.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

As soon as they arrive at his home, Dominic leads Grell straight to the kitchen, keenly aware that the spaghetti is still on the stove. He’s got a jar of marinara to go with it, but he’s just going to mix it in when the spaghetti is almost done. Pretty simple really, but Grell is almost certainly going to love it!

Before they reach the kitchen, a picture in the foyer catches Grell’s eye. It’s a portrait of a woman, one who bares an uncanny resemblance to Dominic.

Before she can ask, Dominic follows her stare, and answers her unspoken question. ‘Danielle Delacroix. She’s an ancestor of mine, if you can believe that. I don’t know much more than that though. My parents died before they could tell me much about my family history. I know she had a son named Daniel, but that’s all I can tell you.’ He really wishes he was one of those people who could recite their family history verbatim, but alas, he really does have no idea…

His lack of knowledge doesn’t seem to bother Grell at all, as she hums thoughtfully. ‘Hmm, does that make you Dominic Delacroix then? I do hope so. Something about it rolls so beautifully off the tongue. Would I get to take your surname if we got married?’ If Dominic was drinking, he would have sprayed it all over the foyer. Marriage?! Fucking hell, Grell moves fast! Not that it’s the worst suggestion he’s ever heard, it’s just that there’s a lot of complications involved… including the fact that Grell knows nothing about his past. 

Try his best to hide the fact his heart is beating at a worryingly rapid pace, Dominic laughs nervously. ‘You can of you really want to. Just have fun getting people to pronounce it properly.’ Dominic is now desperately trying to remember Grell’s surname. He’s certain it’s the name of an old serial killer. Christie? Haige?

Grell scoffs. ‘If you that’s bad, trying having a surname like Sutcliff. Honestly, if one more person mentions the fucking Yorkshire Ripper…’ Dominic really dodged a chainsaw to the face there, didn’t he? He’d have had no chance even talking Grell into a second date, were it not for his excellent mouth-to-brain filter…

Detour over, Dominic finally gets Grell into the kitchen, eager to show off his culinary prowess.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dinner is a fucking disaster.

To Dominic’s great surprise, it turns out you actually have to drain pasta, preferably before you add the sauce. 

If Dominic’s special ‘scalding tomato water’ sauce isn’t off-putting enough, then the pasta is surely enough to make anyone vomit in an instant.

Yeah, so it turns out that cooking pasta for ten minutes, leaving it to cook while you fetch your date, and allowing it to cook even further while it ‘blends in’ with the sauce is… inadvisable. What little pasta could be salvaged from the bottom of the pan is a bizarre combination of hard and spongy. It’s as if someone has dunked a washing up sponge in concrete. 

Simply put, this dinner is far worse than anything Dominic could ever have thought possible. He’s bracing himself for Grell to storm out at any moment, disgusted by his lack of culinary prowess.

To his great surprise, Grell actually manages a few mouthfuls, before she places her cutlery down for a final time, the task too much for even her to cope with. 

Dominic has to fight the urge to do something else he hasn’t done in years; cry in front of someone else. 

He can already feel them gathering in his eyes as he talks. ‘I fucked up so bad. I wanted this to be perfect. What kind of man am I if I can’t even make you a plate of spaghetti? I’m a fucking failure.’ He’s about to storm off and sulk for a while, when the feeling of Grell’s hands against his own freeze his body completely.

Grell has a soft smile on her face, one that begins calming Dominic immediately. ‘Relax, dear. I know that men are largely useless in the kitchen. That’s why you need woman like me to cook for you. Although, I had no idea how bad the situation was… that does it! I shall have to visit you at least three times a week to prepare your meals for you! I shan’t have you going hungry on my watch!’ Grell can cook? Dominic was quite convinced Grell’s skills lay in mostly in badassery and how to be sexy yet lowkey terrifying. He’s desperate to taste her cooking now…

What the hell is he thinking?!

Dominic shakes his head. ‘You can’t do that. You already work full time reaping souls! I can’t expect you to cook for me all the time, too. It wouldn’t be right!’ On that much at least, Dominic intends to hold his ground. From what Grell has told him, there’s already enough people in her life taking advantage; he won’t become another.

Grell sighs. ‘Honestly, you men. If it was any bother, I would never have offered. After all, it’s my job to make sure my ridiculously handsome boyfriend is well-fed! We’ll be discussing this later, you mark my words!

‘Anyhow, now that dinner is over, what do you say we skip to dessert? I know you said no sex, but there are plenty of other things for us to do. Personally, I’m dying to feel those obscenely plump lips of yours against mine. Do you wish to take me to your room, or would you be more comfortable in a living room of sorts?’ Now, that is something Dominic can allow. After all, it’s not truly taking advantage if it’s something mutually beneficial, desired by two people…

That though hits a little too close to home, but he tries his best to ignore it.

Instead, he leads Grell from the kitchen to a nearby living room, keeping their hands together the entire journey. Given Grell’s indication of what is to come, Dominic acts remarkably calm.

That calm shatters the moment they reach the living room.

In the blink of an eye, Dominic has Grell pressed up against the door, his lips covering hers in less time than it takes to draw breath.

Grell responds to the kiss immediately, weaving her hands into Dominic’s hair.

This turns out to be a big mistake.

Dominic’s mind is instantly flooded with images, ones he had hoped to forget. Images of a young girl with pigtail having them tugged at by greasy old men, as they abused her body in ways she had never anticipated. Those images are interwoven with others, with one standing out the most;

Pavi.

In his mind’s eye, Dominic can see Pavi looking down at his ‘Lolita’, yanking in her hair so tightly that a few of the strands break off in his hands. He can hear Pavi talking to, telling the girl before him how much she must love pain, because he can smell how much she wants him to fuck her.

What he can actually smell is piss, as the poor girl is terrified what his next move will be.

That’s when the knife appears…

Hysterical, Dominic jots away from the images, unaware that his entire body has jolted too.

As Dominic tries to take a few steadying breaths, Grell looks on in horror, unsure of what just happened. One moment, she’s feeling positively giddy, and the next… 

Fully aware that Dominic is having some kind of panic attack, Grell keeps her distance, allowing him to get some much needed air.

By the time Dominic’s breathing returns to normal, Grell is on the verge of tears, heartbroken that she has brought such pain upon the only man who has ever shown her any kind of kindness of acceptance. She feels like the worst kind of monster, and resolves herself to leave as soon as she knows Dominic is okay.

Meanwhile, Dominic has come up with a resolve of his own; if things are to progress any further between him and Grell, he’s going to have to come clean about his past. Sure, there’s a chance she’ll run a mile the moment she hears, but that’s a risk he’s just going to have to take.

Taking in one last deep breath, Dominic looks Grell straight in the eyes;

‘I need to tell you something.’ 

Grell looks taken aback, but she soon steels herself again. She gets the distinct feeling that whatever Dominic has to say, it’s important.

Once she’s convinced she’s ready to hear just about anything Dominic has to say, she takes a deep breath of her own. ‘Shall we take a seat?’ She gestures to a loveseat just inside the room, and Dominic nods, the pair of them taking seats as far away as the small piece of furniture will allow.

There’s a tense silence in the air, one that is eventually broken by Dominic. ‘I have thought up so many different ways to say when I’m about to say. I’ve thought of ways that frame it as an excuse, ‘I lost my parents at a young age’ apparently my mind’s most popular one. I’ve considered just dropping a series of hints, hoping you’ll piece it together. I very nearly wrote you a song, until I realised I’d have to sing it to you. Now that we’re here though, I just can’t think of the words to tell you what I’ve done. I know we’ve… fuck, I don’t think I can do this. I was a fool to think I could keep this up. I just wanted a few moments of happiness with you. You’ll hate me so much when I tell you…’ a tear begins to glide down one of Dominic’s cheeks, one that he makes no move to stop. If this truly is goodbye, then so be it…

Grell reaches a hand over to Dominic, intertwining one of his hands with hers. 

She grasps it tightly as she speaks, her voice barely a whisper. ‘I could never hate you. Whatever it is, I swear to you that I’ll listen, and I won’t judge. There is nothing I could not forgive when it comes to you. I lo- I’m fond of you, and I think you’re fond of me too. So please, tell me what you have to say so that we can get past it together.’ Dominic wants so desperately to believe her right now, but how can he? There is no amount of ‘fondness’ in the world that can overlook his past…

However, he can’t go back now; he has to tell her the truth.

‘Before I was Dominic, I was Irene, and she… I was a child prostitute.’ 

The air feels heavy, but Dominic is determined not to fall into silence. ‘It was after my father died. His finally act was using all the money he and mum had saved over the years to buy me a new stomach. It saved my life, sure, but it left me with only the house and it’s contents. I had no money for food or bills, plus the fact that Dad couldn’t fully finance the transplant. I was in an impossible situation.

‘I swear, I tried to find an honest job. I was just too young. So, I did the only thing I felt I could. I donned the monicker ‘Lolita’, and sold my body in alleyways. 

‘It… I don’t even know where to begin. The first client I had was a magistrate of some kind. He was married, had a few kids of his own. He had a daughter, just a little younger than I was at the time. He told me he’d pay extra if he could call me ‘Alice’ for the night. I didn’t care, to me it was just another fake name. So, he gave me the cash, pushed me to the ground, and…

‘It hurt. It hurt so much I thought I was going to die. I tried to smile and act like I was enjoyed it, but I couldn’t. The client didn’t mind though. Didn’t care that I was in pain. I think he got off on it if I’m honest. He threw in a little more money when he was done, told me what a good lay I was. I showered three times that night, but I still felt unclean. They don’t make water hot enough to burn away the shame I felt that night.

‘The first night was the hardest. After that, it got easier. Sure, the clients were much the same. All perverts, desperate for a taste of the forbidden. I let them have that taste, for a price. I remember being so concerned that I was becoming less desirable as I got older, that I’d soon have to turn twice as many tricks to get the same money. If I’d only know…

‘I was thirteen the night I first met Pavi. Thought it was a woman at first, when I heard his heels coming around the corner. I wish it had been. When I recognised him, I was scared, but relieved too; ‘at least it’s not Luigi’ I kept telling myself. I wish it was Luigi now; getting stabbed in the chest is preferable to what Pavi did.’ Dominic chokes on the final word, but he will not cry. That’s not him anymore. He’s not a frightened teenage girl. He’s a grown man, one that brings fear and Zydrate to everyone he meets. The girl in the alleyway is dead; he just hope Grell understand that.

Grell has made no effort to hide her tears; they’ve already made it all the way to her neck.

When she makes to speak, she chokes. ‘Dominic… I don’t… I…’ She hates him. She hates what he was. Why did he even tell her this shit? She’s only the second person he’s let get this close to him, and now she hates him.

To his surprise, Grell pulls him into a hug, cradles his face between her breasts, and gently strokes his back, trying to… comfort him? She’s… comforting him? Why? She should hate him! She should be repulsed, like anyone else would be!

Grell’s voice is barely a whisper. ‘It’s okay. That’s not you. Not anymore. She’s dead now. She can’t suffer anymore. You never have to suffer again.’ Dominic relaxes into Grell’s embrace, relived that she doesn’t hate him. He doesn’t feel the need to cry anymore; he’s long since run out of tears. Grell seems to need a moment to cry for his past though, so he’ll give her that. It feels nice, being in her arms like this…

… and having his head against her breasts. That feels ridiculously nice. 

Grell murmurs out a few more platitudes, and Dominic tries to listen, truly he does. He’s finding it hard to focus on anything other than the soft mounds of flesh against his face at the moment now. They feel so supple, yet so firm. They have to be natural, fake breasts are nowhere near as delightful as this. Is it rude to ask? Maybe she’ll let him have a peek…

The room falls into silence for a while, at which point Dominic looks up at Grell. She’s staring down at him, confusion on her face. It suddenly occurs to Dominic that she must have asked him a question, but fucked if he knows what it was. His current position is far too involved to pay attention to such trivial things as questions!

Dominic blinks heavily twice, trying to take his mind off of Grell’s chest long enough to form a sentence. ‘Uh, yeah I guess. I think. What was the question?’ He tries to maintain his focus this time, a task easier said than done.

Grell looks concerned. ‘I asked if being with me makes it harder. If it’s too much for you…’ oh fuck! He needs to backtrack, he needs to backtrack!

Well, since he’s being honest… ‘Oh, it makes it harder alright, especially when I’ve got my face buried in your tits like this.’ He has to resist the urge to nuzzle into her chest. Maybe their softness will lessen the blow of the slap he’s certain he’ll receive for saying that…

He does get a slap; a playful one, on his shoulder.

Grell sighs. ‘Men. Is there ever a time you’re not focused on sex? I thought we were having a deep and meaningful conversation. I was even going to tell you the Jack the Ripper story…’ damn, now there’s a story Dominic would love to hear. Damn him and his inner pervert…

Reluctantly, Dominic moves himself away from Grell’s embrace, and tries to get back on track. What was he talking about again? 

For a moment, the silence returns, only for Grell to break it, biting her lip before saying ‘Would you like to see them?’ 

Dominic blinks heavily again. See what? Surely not her breasts. Would she really let him? Fuck, he wants to see them so bad. It seems too much to ask though, especially after the shit he just dropped onto her. He’d thrown himself at her mercy, told him the darkest of his secrets, and now she’s offering him a peak at her body? Did he die earlier? Was the spaghetti so bad it killed him, and this is his mind creating one last fantastic before it slips away? If so, then he has to commend it; this is hell of a fantasy!

Before he has a chance to answer, Grell suddenly looks very awkward. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I image that’s the last thing you want right now. Maybe we should call it a night.’ He knew it! Knew this was too good to be true! As if things like this actually happen!

Well, they might. Just not to Dominic…

Dominic sighs. ‘You’re wrong, but you’re right. I know my past is a lot to deal with. I’ll understand if you need time to think or whatever.’ He hopes she doesn’t take much time. He’s gotten so used to seeing her, he’s miss her terribly if she was gone longer than the usual week…

Something menacing flashes in Grell’s eyes. ‘All I’m thinking of are ways I can make this ‘Pavi’ suffer. Do you think I should start or end with emasculation?’ Now that’s something Dominic would like to see. He has no doubt Grell could kill him in seconds if she put her mind to it… or keep him alive for days, making him suffer every pain imaginable…

In all honestly, Dominic doesn’t want that. He’d much rather Grell spent her time with him instead… 

Dominic lets out a dark laugh. ‘First; that way, you can shove it up his ass while you make him scream.

‘In all honestly though, I want nothing more to do with him. That was my old life; as you said, Lolita is dead. Pavi and I have technically never met.’ Thinking that is what tends to get Dominic through the days sometimes. Never again will he have to deal with Pavi, or his sadistic tendencies…

Grell nods. ‘If you’re certain. Let me know if that changes, though; I’ll bring you his face on a silver platter.

‘So, my offer still stands. Would you like a peek?’ Never mind killing Pavi, Grell will be the death of Dominic at this rate!

Taking a deep breath, Dominic answers. ‘I’d really like that. Fuck, I’d like that. It’s just… my chest is fucked up. I can’t… I can’t take my shirt off in front of you. Not yet. If you’d rather wait until I can…’ As wonderful as skin-on-skin contact would be, Dominic thinks that one emotionally charged revelation is enough for tonight. He only hopes it doesn’t hurt Grell’s feelings…

If it does, she doesn’t let on. Instead, she inches closer to Dominic, moving to straddle his lap.

Before Grell moves any further, she asks something that’s been in the back of her mind since Dominic’s earlier meltdown. ‘Is there anywhere I shouldn’t touch? Anything you don’t like?’ Dominic can’t believe how considerate she’s being, making such allowances for him. It’s almost enough to make him regret his insistence that they wait for sex…

Dominic nods. ‘I hate having my hair played with, though I’m guessing that’s obvious now. My neck is another no touch zone, unless it’s your mouth. Also, the reason I don’t want you to see my chest is… I have a lot of scars. Some of them don’t bother me, but the ones on my chest are disgusting. They hurt as much now as they did when they were first made, so try not to put any weight on my chest. I think that’s probably it for now.’ He dreads the day he’ll have to explain those scars to Grell, almost as much as he dreads having to mention the abortion… 

Now isn’t the time to think of that though. Not with Grell now straddling his lap, her fingers slowly working the buttons on her waistcoat. She opted to wear a blouse underneath today, which is fine by Dominic; watching as Grell’s skin is slowly revealed to him is tantalising. 

Waistcoat removed, Grell starts unbuttoning her blouse at the bottom, causing Dominic’s gaze to follow. He licks his lips when he gets his first look at her bare flesh, and it takes all of his willpower to keep his hands to himself; he doesn’t want to push his luck.

Without warning, Grell’s hands begin to falter, as if she’s afraid of something. 

Dominic places his hands over Grell’s, and brings his forehead against hers. ‘If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. You’ve already done so much for me today.’ He can feel how Grell’s body trembles underneath his touch, and it worries him. She’s always so confident, so sure. Seeing her falter like this… it seems Dominic isn’t the only one with something to hide.

Grell closes her eyes. ‘I’m not just doing this for you. I’m doing this for me, too. I… there’s a scar. It’s big. Got too close to another reaper’s death scythe in the 1800’s. Would have cut me in two if I wasn’t as fast as I am. It’s not pleasant to look at, but I know I can trust you. Just… promise me you won’t turn me away?’ As If he could, especially over something like that. If she’s that worried about her scar though, maybe he should show her his own…

No, he can’t. He’s done all he can for today. Well, almost all…

Shifting his head slightly, Dominic connects his lips with Grells, before moving her hands so he is the one holding her buttons.

Dominic murmurs into Grell’s lips. ‘I swear, there is no scar great enough to make me do that. May I?’ One of his fingers brushes against her without him meaning to, and the feel of her is almost too much for him. If this is what her stomach does to him, perhaps he shouldn’t go on…

Pulling her lips away, Grell closes her eyes and leans back, pushing her chest towards Dominic. ‘Do it. I trust you.’ That’s all Dominic needs to hear. He takes up where Grell left off, slowly and carefully removing each button from its hole.

The scar is visible after only one button, and is just as vast as Grell had mentioned. It seems to span her entire torso, one faded line made with seemingly surgical precision. However, Dominic is not convinced it’s the one she mentioned. How can it be? There’s nothing grotesque about this scar, even if you don’t compare it to his own. 

It’s mesmerising. 

Grell notices that Dominic has stopped moving. ‘I can hide it. You never have to see it again. Please, say something.’ Dominic notices tears beginning to form, so he does the first thing he thinks of once again.

Using a single finger, he traces the line of the scar.

The skin along the scar feels different the her unmarred skin, but that’s to be expected; Dominic knows that from personal experience. He can feel Grell tremble beneath him again, but he’s not convinced it’s fear causing it this time…

When he’s done tracking, Dominic puts a hand on Grell’s cheek, prompting her too look at him with tear stained eyes. ‘You’re beautiful. Don’t ever doubt that.’ Grell sobs, out of relief rather than sadness.

She smiles at Dominic, covering his hand with her own. ‘I almost think I believe you this time. Can you keep going? I’m keep to hear what you think of my breasts.’ If they’re anything like they felt through her blouse earlier, Dominic already knows he’ll love them.

Giving Grell one last quick kiss, Dominic resumes his task, finding it increasingly difficult to work slowly. 

Finally, after what must surely be the longest minutes of Dominic’s relationship so far, all of the buttons are gone, exposing Grell’s bra. 

Dominic’s brain stops working completely at that point.

He doesn’t have words. What can he say? They’re so… and the bra! Fuck, that bra… it’s got a little bow in the middle! It makes her tits look like a present, and fuck is he glad he’s the one that gets to open it. It’s too much, he just… fuck…

While Dominic is busy staring at her chest in awe, Grell shrugs off her blouse, and places her hands on Dominic’s shoulders, making sure to stay away from his neck. She only laments that Dominic isn’t yet confident enough to show his own chest to her; ah, well. They have plenty of time to reach that point. For now, she’s happy basking in his awestruck gaze. Never before has a man looked at her with the same level of raw desire that Dominic is; it’s driving her wild. She only hopes he comes to enough to actually finish the job, because she can feel her breasts aching for his touch. She suspects he’ll be quite rough, but that doesn’t bother her; she’s used to being knocked around by men.

Another moment passes, and Dominic is still just staring, causing Grell to give him a verbal nudge. ‘You don’t have to stare, you know. The clasp is just behind that little bow. One quick snap, and you could have your hands all over my bare breasts.’ Dominic nearly faints at that point. When Grell asked if he wanted to see them, he assumed he meant through her bra, not totally bare! This conclusively proves that the spaghetti did in fact kill him. Well, if he’s already dead…

With slightly shaking hands, Dominic unclasps Grell’s bra, before gently pushing it off of her body.

For a spit second, Dominic is convinced her breasts aren’t as natural as he first though; they seem far too perky to be natural. However, as his hands gently squeeze them, he realises that they are in fact real.

Grell smiles weakly. ‘They’re real, in case you’re trying to figure it out. The hormone treatment worked better than I’d hoped. I know they’re a little small, but if that bothers you, I can always save up for another round of treatment. I could even get implants, if you’d prefer that.’ What, and make her change into one of those vapid, plastic whores that he sees so many of these days? Over his dead body!

Dominic makes sure his feelings are known; to the best of his currently limited ability. ‘Never change them. They’re… fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I’m so lost. I don’t have words. Remind me what you asked?’ For the first time since his father died, Dominic feels his age; he’s acting like a normal eighteen year old does when faced with breasts. What can he do? Can he kiss them? Nuzzle them? Can he take a nipple into his mouth and worship it with his tongue? So many questions… yet such an inability to talk…

On her part, Grell is getting a strange power kick out of this. Reducing a man to a blubbering mess? Grell has never felt sexier. She’s half-hoping Dominic will forget his idea about delaying sex, and drag her straight to bed. She’d go willing too. He could even keep his shirt on; Grell doesn’t mind going on her hands and knees.

Still, Dominic’s lack of movement is inconvenient; Grell has to fix that. 

Putting on her most sultry tone, Grell leans in, and practically moans into Dominic’s ear. ‘If you can’t tell me what you think, show me. Show me how much you want me.’ Grell will be the death of Dominic at this rate. He almost wishes he’d met Grell after his next surgery; if he had the equipment to hand, he’d ignore his no sex thing, and fuck her against the arm of the sofa until they both fainted. Alas, he left his prosthetic upstairs, and there’s no way he wants to move from this spot; if he does, he’s sure this’ll all fade away. 

Still, he’s not about to waste Grell’s suggestion. She want him to show her how much he wants her? He’ll do that, all right.

Dominic starts off slowly, gently grasping Grell’s breast before loosening his grip. He slides his hands to her sides, and uses his thumbs to caress her nipples. Grell’s eyes flutter shut, given Dominic the perfect opportunity; as subtly as he can, Dominic trades a thumb for his mouth, taking a nipple into his mouth.

The sound that tears from Grell’s lips is positively mellifluous, a gentle sigh that escalated to a moan. Dominic can feel that Grell is getting excited again, which spurs him on further. He brings Grell as close to him as he can, his scars burning slightly as they rub against his shirt. 

As he feels Grell’s grasp on him tighten, Dominic knows the pain is worth it.

If only he wasn’t so afraid to undress; her skin would feel amazing against his.

Speaking of amazing, Dominic lets Grell’s nipple go with an obscene pop, bringing his mouth up to her ear instead.

Dominic has no idea where his next words come from. ‘Do you have any idea what you do to me? Any fucking idea? I was fine before you came into my life. Now all I can think about is you. How much I want to see you, how much I want to kiss you… I’m been fantasising about you, too. About how I’m going to rub your clit until you’re so wet it ruins your underwear. I could do that now if you want. Do you want me to do that?’ He’s almost ashamed of his words. Almost…

That shame evaporates when Grell yanks her skirt up, all but tearing her underwear off. She brings his hand between her legs, rubbing herself against him. 

Grell’s voice is laced with desperation. ‘I know how you feel. I’ve been alone for so long, and that was okay. The moment I met you, that changed. I’ve never felt like this about anyone. Every other man I’ve cared about has pushed me away, but not you. You always let me in, always keep me close. I never knew how much I needed someone like you. I… please, Dominic. Make me feel like I’m wanted.’ Dominic’s chest hurts, only this time it’s not he scars. It’s an almost pleasant ache, as if his heart wants to tear itself away from him, and land in Grell’s lap. Although undoubtedly different, something in Grell’s past must resonate with his own. He’ll have to ask her someday…

For now, he’s content to make good on his unexpected confession; he begins to tease Grell as promised, delighted to find the her slit is already damp.

He teases her as much as he can bare, doing his best to find her sensitive spots. He makes sure to stimulate her breasts with his spare hand and his mouth, taking care never to be too rough with her. There’s no need for him to rush or to be too hard; even if this is his only chance to do this (which he’s determined it won’t be), there’s no need to be hasty. He wants to savour this moment…

This time, it’s Grell that’s finding it hard to think. The way that Dominic positively caresses her body is brand new, so much so that she feels out of her head with pleasure. How long has it been since someone else touched her like this? She’s certain no one ever has; the last time she had sex, it had been a rough and humiliating mistake, one that she’ll regret until she dies. This isn’t like that. This is everything Grell has ever wanted. She only hopes that Dominic is willing to let her pay him back…

Without warning, Dominic makes good on his promise. Grell ends up getting more than just her underwear wet though; she ends up gushing all over Dominic’s lap, staining his clothes rather her own. For once though, Dominic doesn’t give a single fuck; all that matters is that Grell is satisfied. 

It takes a moment for Grell to come down from her high, but the moment she does… ‘Mmm, well then. You certainly know how to please a lady, don’t you? Now, how would you like me to please you? Do you want me to stroke your cock, or would you rather I got on my knees and sucked it for you?’ Dominic has no idea what to say anymore. If seeing her breasts was a miracle, then what’s the offer of a blowjob? Normally, Dominic would shove any woman offering that kind of… act far away from him. But, as it’s Grell… 

No, he can’t. It’s not fair. Nothing about this date has been fair on Grell. She’s given him everything, and all he’s done is fingered her for a bit. He can’t ask for more…

When she doesn’t receive an answer, Grell smiles salaciously. ‘Oh, I see those cogs turning in that wicked male mind of yours. I know you’d rather bend me against the nearest flat surface, but that’s not an option.’ Keeping one hand firmly placed on Dominic’s shoulder, Grell puts a hand on his thigh, and slowly slides it towards his crotch. ‘I don’t have to do anything you don’t want me to, but I want to show my appreciation. Besides, as diner was basically inedible, I’d love the chance to wrap my lips around something hot and delicious.’ Dominic rescinds his thoughts from earlier; had he already had his bottom half done, he would have just exploded in his underwear. No woman has the right to be this sexy. 

Well, if she will insist…

In a flash, Dominic has his trousers and underwear down his ankles, exposing himself to Grell. He wait for her patiently, anxiously awaiting the feel of her mouth around him.

That’s when he remembers the scars.

How many times has he cut himself there in the past? He isn’t certain, but he can recall several instances. Why the fuck didn’t he remember that before he got his junk out?

In a blind panic, Dominic pulls everything up again, his face heating up with shame. He got too carried away again. He’s told Grell way more than he’d intended to. He should have sent her away after satisfying her, but he had to push his already stretched luck just that little bit furthe-

Grell kisses him softly, yet with more confidence than previous kisses. She stares Dominic in the eyes when she pulls away. ‘That’s fine, my dear. I’m not going to push you any further tonight. I just feel guilty is all. You’ve given me so much of you tonight.’ She kisses him again, and he kisses back, grateful that she still doesn’t hate him. Not until she sees his chest, at least.

Dominic shakes his head once the kiss ends. ‘It’s enough. I may have to hold you to that offer another night though. Say, two days from now? If you’re not busy…’ She’s usually working from what she’s said in the past, but it’s worth a try…

Grell nods enthusiastically. ‘Oh, but I’ll deliver. I’ll have to check with Willy on the day though… oh, sod It. I deserve a night of wild passion with my man. Should I let myself in?’ If that’s the reason she’s visiting, she can let herself in all she wants…

Dominic nods. ‘Yeah, sure. Just… don’t sneak up on me. Oh, and come before six if you’re planing to visit, else I’ll be out dealing.’ Or harvesting, but that’s not something he wants to discus with a lady…

When Grell answers, there’s a frown playing on her lips. ‘I bet I’ve lost you a lot of money, haven’t I? These weekly visits can’t do much to increase you income…’ why the fuck is she worried about that? It’s not her problem… not exactly…

Dominic sighs. ‘You’ve cost me nothing. Not when you consider what you’ve given me…’ he strokes Grell’s cheek gently, smiling slightly.

Grell seems confused. ‘I have? What have I given you?’ She doesn’t know? She really doesn’t know.

Dominic brings his face in closer. 

‘Fondness.’ 

The rest of the date is spent with their mouths firmly attached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I still do good?


	8. Act Six: Old Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey,
> 
> And here we have a Grell-sentric chapter ^.^ I’ll say have a look at the warnings again though, because there will be mentions of stuff. Y’all have been warned again
> 
> Here it is then ^.^

Grell has to take a deep breath before she enters the office today, something that’s almost habitual now. In fact, she’s pretty sure she’s been doing it ever since she graduated. 

It isn’t her work that elicits such a response; she’s long since accepted her role as a reaper. If anything, she’s become beyond confident in her role, able to collects souls with minimal effort and maximum efficiency. Maximum for her, at least; William seems to think she can cut her already impressive time even further.

Ah, and therein lies the issue; William T Spears, the stoic head of dispatch, and Grell’s boss.

Oh, how that last one cuts her deep.

Grell is almost amazed that he’s still the one in charge here, especially after the Campania debacle; though technically he had gotten off scot-free on that occasion, heaping the blame onto her and Knox. Honestly, if he’d done just a little more research, and discovered that a legendary grin reaper was on the guest list, then he would have sent more that a reaper recently released from suspension and a total novice! Not that Grell resents dear Ronnie for his inexperience at the time; the poor dear acted remarkably well, even holding his own against a demon at one point. If only he hadn’t fallen victim to his youthful arrogance…

Deep breath now taken, Grell steps into the office confidently, her hips swaying a little. A few eyes glance up at her briefly, taking in her visible increase of confidence. Normally such glances would make her feel small, but after yesterday, it feels like nothing will ever be able to put her down again. So she lets them look, even smiling at a few of them. They may not know the exact cause of her joy, but she does. She’s not the only one though…

One man in the office goes further than just looking, instead choosing to approach Grell, two coffees in his hand. As most people tend to avoid direct contact with Grell, she knows exactly who it is without even having to see their face.

She can see it now though, and it’s exactly who she thinks it is; her Campania ‘partner-in-crime’ himself, Ronald Knox. 

Positively beaming at Grell as he comes to a halt in front of her, he hands her one of the coffees. ‘Thought you might appreciate that. Apparently we’re on paperwork tonight. I think it’s going to be a long one too.’ Oh joy, how Grell loves paperwork. Still, it does give her the opportunity to tell Ronnie all about her date last night…

Oh, Dominic. Sweet, sweet Dominic. Grell still has to fight the need to swoon every time she so much as thinks of him. Honestly, if someone had told her six months ago that she would meet a considerate, genuine man who actually wants her for more that just novelty value, she would have hit them in the face with her death scythe. She can seldom believe her luck, but she can’t bring herself to question it. All she can do is embrace her good fortune, and hope it continues. It’s been far too long since she let herself fall hard for someone, not since…

No, she will not allow herself to go down this path. Not today of all days. Today, she’ll just enjoy her time chatting with Ronnie, and thinking about her next day off with Dominic. 

Accepting the coffee offered to her, Grell smiles. ‘Aw, bless you Ronnie. Good to know some men still know how to treat a girl right. Well, some men other than my man.’ She bites her lip, remembering what had transpired between them last night. The way Dominic opened up to her, the way he touched her, the fact that he tried to cook for her… oh dear, her thoughts are drifting again. She’s going to find it hard working today.

Ronald’s grin turns into a smirk. ‘Oh yeah? Good night was it? Tell me all about it, but skip on certain details, yeah? I don’t really want to think of my best friend naked.’ Grell wants to correct him and say that so far she’s only been… mostly naked, but she fights the urge. She has to keep somethings private, after all. Like the fact she showed off her breasts to Dominic without a second thought.

In fairness though, that turned out to be a great move; the poor man looked like e was going to faint in awe of them! Talk about an amazing confidence booster. Oh, and the way he touched her scar. He was so gentle with it, yet touched it with such confidence… like it didn’t repulse him. Grell could have cried, having her body touched in such a way. Should Dominic allow it, she would be most happy to repay him in kind. Whatever scars he’s hiding underneath his clothes, they will do nothing to taint her memories of his gentle touches…

Ronald and Grell make their way to their respective desks, and are about to start working, when a droll voice sounds out from a private office at the end of the room. 

‘Grell Sutcliff, come here.’ 

Oh, for the love of… what does William want? Can’t Grell just have a few moments of peace?

Standing back up with a sigh, Grell shoots Ronald a mournful look, one the younger reaper knows all too well. He rolls his eyes, and Grell would have smiled, were it not for the dread forming in her gut. Oh, how she was hoping to avoid William, only if for a day. Sure, she would have had to go and see him about taking another day off, but still… 

Reluctantly, Grell trudges over to his office, giving the door a quick knock before being snapped at to enter.

William’s office is just as drab as the man himself. Minimal decoration, only three pieces of furniture (a desk with a chair in front and one behind), and an air of officiousness that seems unshakable. Even his desk is practically bare, a small pile of paperwork to one side, and a single quill directly in front of William’a chair. Honestly, Grell finds that quill unnecessarily pretentious; would it kill the man to switch to biro now? It’s hardly still the nineteenth century, is it? Besides which, all that ink can’t be cheap; maybe that’s why his precious departmental budget is always askew. 

William doesn’t even have the curtesy to look at her as she enters, reluctantly closing the door behind her. ‘Take a seat, Sutcliff. And do not even think of speaking until I give you permission to do so.’ Who the hell does he think he’s talking to? He’s her boss, not a private school headmaster. Still, if Grell wants to know what this is all about, she’ll have to play ball, despite his attitude.

Taking a seat, Grell keeps her mouth closed, waiting for William to speak.

William keeps her waiting for over five minutes, scratching away at his papers as if she doesn’t even exist. Grell is tempted to storm out by the time William finally puts down his wretched quill, and stares at Grell.

His voice is monotone, yet it drips poison with every word. ‘I must admit, I am disappointed in you, Mr Sutcliff. It’s bad enough that you insist on forcing yourself upon every man in our realm, but to find your forcing yourself on a human drug lord… is there some reason for your actions, or are you truly as desperate as I’ve always assumed?’ Grell can hardly believe what she’s hearing. It’s bad enough that William called her desperate, but deliberately misgendering her like that? It hurts. 

It hurts even more considering their history.

Grell assumes that him asking a question means he wants an answer, so she gives him one. ‘Of course there is a reason. I… I think I’m falling in love with him.’ It’s the first time Grell has openly admitted it even to herself, and she hates that William is the one to hear it, but it’s true. What other word is there to describe how she feels? He’s always on her mind, tugging at her consciousness. Days without him don’t feel right. Whenever she’s with him, she feels like herself, her true self, the self she’s been struggling to reveal to anyone for so long. She’s let her guard down for him more than once, and she knows she’ll do it again without hesitation, because she is convinced that he fees the same. Even if his scars are more numerous, and even if it takes him longer to work up the courage to open up to her, Grell knows that he will. She just has to be patient with him.

William scoffs. ‘In love? What’s this now, the hundredth time you’ve said that you’re in love? Will you never learn, Sutcliff? Freaks like you can love all they want, but ultimately… well, I’m sure you’ve enough experience in these matters to know what the outcome will be. Nobody shall ever love you, not truly. You’re a novelty, that’s all. Something that is to be tried once and discarded, as all novelties ultimately are. Tell me, has this ‘Irene’ used you yet? I’ll bet she hasn’t, if you keep going back. Or is she desperate too, so much that you’re the only person she can convince to spread their legs?’ Grell doesn’t know if she should cry or slap him. She’s leaning more towards the latter, though the punishment she’d receive… it would undoubtedly lessen her time with Dominic.

So, she does what she always does; she answers his questions, trying not to hiss out her words between her teeth. ‘His name is Dominic, and what I do with him is none of your concern. I have been hurt so many times in the past that even thinking of love hurts. Yet that is what he makes me feel. How dare you speak so low of him? Do not judge other men by your pitifully low standards, William. Or have you forgotten what happened some fifty years back? I know I haven’t.’ The memory of that night is still all too clear. Surely he’s not forgotten?

William coughs. ‘Yes, well, when one is starving, who is one to turn down fresh meat when it’s on offer? Still, I try not to dwell on the incident. We all make mistakes. I’m sure your parents felt the same way the moment you came into the world.’ Grell isn’t sure she remembers her parents anymore, so that doesn’t cut as much as he seems to have intended it to. The rest though? All he’s doing is cutting her deeper and deeper, just as he does every day. 

There’s a reason she’s been in tears seeing Dominic in the past.

Grell suddenly feels very small, her bravado failing. How could he destroy her good mood like this? Does he get a sick kick out of torturing her? 

Fighting back tears, Grell answers yet again, her voice a little smaller than usual. ‘Offered, was it? I offered myself to you so many times, but you never took me up on it. The only time you did was the time I was too drunk to think better of it. Why was I only tempting when I wasn’t chasing you?’ Her voice breaks on the last word, but she still will not cry; not if she can help it.

To her utter disgust, William jeers. ‘That’s not how I remember it. I seem to recall the only reason you weren’t offering yourself to me is that you were forcing yourself on me. With your reputation too, that’s what everyone else remembers. Oh, how I was hoping you’d be transferred away so I wouldn’t have to see you again. Alas, I am a professional, a mature individual. Besides, I do so enjoy the power I have over you. Perhaps you and I should share sympathy drinks when I finally tell your latest fling all about you, hm? Oh, and don’t worry, I will. You have a month to tell this new toy of yours that you’re not interested, or I shall tell them all about that night. Are we quite clear?’ Grell can’t believe what she’s hearing. He’s giving her an ultimatum? It’s vile. How dare he try to play the victim? How dare he ruin her happiness? How dare he? How dare he?! HOW DARE HE?!

Grell stands, practically shoving the desk at William as she does. 

Her words are as vicious and concise as his threats. ‘You’re the real freak here, William. You may have convinced almost everyone else that you’re a hard working saint, but I know the truth. All you are is a rapist, and I will not let you victimise me any longer. I won’t tell Dominic I’m leaving him, but do not think for a moment I will not tell you about him. I’ll tell him what you did to me, and all he’ll do is offer to bring me your dick in a matchbox. Mark my words on that.’ She begins storming out, only for William to speak up again.

His words steal the air from her lungs. ‘I’m surprised at you, Mr Sutcliff. Back in our academy days, you would have killed anyone who terminated a pregnancy. What about Irene has changed your opinion on this, hm?’ Wha…? Did Dominic get pregnant when he was a prostitute? Why didn’t he… well, he’s not exactly had the opportunity to. It’s hardly a conversation starter, is it? Dominic must still be working up the courage to tell her…

Foolish man. As if it matters to her. No, that wasn’t him. That was who he used to be. Besides, Dominic is only 18 now, so how old was he when he had the termination? A child, a teenager? Which bastard did it? Was he forced into it? Grell desperately wants to know, but she can’t ask. She can’t force him out of his shell; she can only stand by his side as he does.

Grell doesn’t look back as she retorts. ‘His name is Dominic.’ With that, she saunters out of the office, glad to be out of William’s general vicinity.

Now her tears can begin. 

That was about as pleasant as every conversation she has with William ever is. Why must he torment her? Ruin her life at every turn? She has done nothing to him. Nothing.

As she makes her way back to her desk, the eyes that were once staring at her now accompanied by whispers of accusations. ‘What has he done now?’ They cry. ‘A grown man, crying? Disgraceful.’ The one that hurts the most is ‘what does he have to cry about? What about what he did to Will? If I was him, I’d kick the freak out of our realm, make him live amongst the humans. He’d probably love it, too.’ Grell isn’t sure she can take much more abuse, but she knows she has to endure it. Besides, a few days from now, she’ll be with Dominic again. She’s not even going to ask William for his permission; she’s barely had a moments rest her entire career. If she wants to go off in search of happiness, she’ll do just that. At least Dominic is always happy to see her, too…

Ronald looks up as Grell sits down, immediately taking note of Grell’s tears. ‘You alright, Grell? William give you a hard time over something again?’ Grell nods, her tears turning into sobs. ‘Oh Grell. Whatever he said, he’s talking out his ass. Unless… did he try something again? Because I swear to fuck that manager or not, I’ll kick his ass. Nobody messes with my friend like that. Hey, maybe I could find Dominic too? I bet he’d love the chance to tear Spears a new one.’ Oh, Grell doesn’t doubt that. Dominic probably wants William dead already. It’s not his fight though. He’s only human. He’d be cut in half in the blink of an eye, and where would that leave her? Heartbroken and alone, that’s where. No, she must do her best to keep him safe, just has he has defended her honour in the past. 

Then again, with William’s threat looming over her, she may find herself in that position anyway…

Well, in that case, she’s not going to waste a moment. She’s going to do everything she can to make this month count. She’ll listen to Dominic’s problems, and she’ll hold him, and she’ll cook… anything he wants of her, he can have. At least then, if William goes through with his threat, there’s a chance Dominic might not hate her. Maybe he’d at least give her a chance to explain?

That does it then. When she next sees Dominic, she’s going to go out of her way to make herself desirable to him. She has just the thing to do it in, too…

Providing he doesn’t throw up at the sight of her in a corset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it? Should I hide? 
> 
> Next chapter in a few days ;)


	9. Act Seven: The Visit Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 
> 
> Here be the next chapter, albeit later than I’d planned… ah well, it’s here now!
> 
> Enjoy ^.^

‘The two day wait is finally over.’ That’s the first thing that arrives in Dominic’s mind as he slips out of bed in the early evening. Were anyone else present, they’d be almost certain that he’d spent the whole of yesterday with his heart in his throat, his body unable to cope with the pure nervous excitement that the thought of seeing Grell again had produced. 

They’d be correct in that certainly too. In fact, they’d actually be underestimating how much Dominic has been waiting for this evening.

In such a short space of time, Grell has become… well, an ending of sorts. The sunshine at the end of a hurricane, the light that ends the darkness, the water that ends the thirst. One pure moment of peace and salvation, a save haven. A place where he can lay down his burden without fear of it being pissed upon or kicked aside. He may almost go so far as to say Grell feels like home, but he won’t let himself go there. Not yet, at least. For all he know, this paradise is an mirage, destined to turn into sand in his hands.

He’s not going to let himself go there either. For now, all Dominic is going to do is get dressed and wait for Grell to come to him. If she’s not here by their usually date time well, it’s not the end of the world; not with the cemetery quite literally on his doorstep.

No sooner has he slipped on a shirt are Dominic’s senses put onto high alert, as he hears a noise coming from downstairs. 

Hastily pulling on his jeans from yesterday (minus the boxers that he’d left abandoned in the crotch; he’d rather go commando than wear them again), he creeps barefoot across his bedroom and into hallway, thankful that age has not caused his floorboards to groan underneath his weight. 

From the landing, he can hear the sound of a coat being removed, followed by that of a bag opening. At first he thinks that Graverobber may have asked the cleanup crew to do a second sweep of the house (cheeky cunt) until Dominic hears a clattering that sounds suspiciously like lots being knocked together.

That leaves only one possibility; it’s a looter.

It’s not the first time he’s had to deal with one. After all, there’s only supposed to be a sickly young female here, not a nefarious drug dealer. The last idiot to break in here had made the mistake of heading to ‘Irene’s’ room, his mind intend on stealing more than the family silver. The surprise on his face when he realised he’d made a mistake had been priceless.

The Zydrate from his skull however fetched a high price indeed.

Dominic is about to start considering if this next intruder should meet with a similar end, when all of his worries are put to rest with a single word, uttered in a familiar sing-song voice.

‘Dommieeeeeeeeeee’

Thank fuck for that.

When he’d mentioned to Grell the importance of her announcing herself, he assumed she’d call out as soon as she walked in. What is she playing at, sneaking into the dining room and making his mind go all murderous? Oh, then there’s that nickname again! 

Right then, there’s only one thing for it. Dominic will simply have to go downstairs and explain to his darling Grellybean that sneaking around for any length of time in his house is a foolish thing to do, and demand that she accompany him to his sitting room so they can pick up where they left off last time as ways of an apology. Well, maybe not demand. Beg is probably more accurate. Dominic isn’t one for oral sex in general, but the promise that Grell left him with has been on his mind just as prominently as the woman herself. Fuck, he hopes she gets her breasts out again. He’s misses having them sit comfortably in his ha-

No! He’s getting off topic! He needs to let Grell know that she’s freaked him out a bit, and that she needs to start announcing herself immediately.

Fearing that his mind will take him off on another tangent if he delays any further, Dominic practically glides down the staircase and heads straight for the kitchen, his planned speech forming in his mind as he walks.

Those planned are immediately jettisoned when he catches sight of what Grell is wearing. 

Where does he even begin? She’s wearing a corset, that much Dominic can fathom. It’s just that he doesn’t remember corsets ever looking that fucking sexy. The way it hugs to Grell’s form, highlighting every delicious inch of her torso without showing too much bare skin… if Grell dressed like that reaping souls, she wouldn’t have a problem coaxing people into the afterlife, that’s for sure. They’d probably start a fucking queue! 

That’s just her upper body. Her lower body… he’s seen glimpses of her impossibly long legs in the past, but not like this. Not fully on display, with only her crotch hidden from view. Even the underwear that part of his is wishing she wasn’t wearing is totally obscuring his view; while her front may be fully covered, her ass is a different matter. Plum, round, and frankly mouthwatering skin is spilling out over the edges, causing Dominic to bite the inside of his lip. He doesn’t have words anymore. All of his words have flown out of his mind to make room for the positive plethora of inappropriate scenarios his mind is intent on creating. Fuck, but he wants to go over there and give her cheeks the firm squeeze he thinks they so desperately need, all the while sneaking his tongue straight into Grell’s mouth. Then he’d love to turn her over and push her against the kitchen table. He’d take his sweet time pulling those infuriating panties down her legs, kissing and nipping at her ass all the while. Oh, but he’d take his time on his knees behind her worshipping that ass, stimulating it with his mouth while his fingers opened her up for him. When her hole is nice and stretched out for him, Dominic would finally stand, attach his prosthetic dick, and fuck her hard, moaning every time her perfect globes of flesh slapped against his hips…

As he stands there at a loss for words, Grell fills the air with her own, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. ‘You came when I called? That’s the kind of think I like to see in my men, especially when I’m preparing a treat for them. How do you like your steak?’ Dominic’s mind briefly returns to him long enough to make him aware that Grell is planning to cook for him, but the thought is soon lost again. Just how is Dominic supposed to decide how he wants his steak when he’s got Grell’s ass looking so juicy? Surely she knows exactly what she’s doing to him?

Again, it’s up to Grell to fill the silence. 

She looks Dominic up and down, taking in his hurried, somewhat disheveled state of dress. He must have heard her enter his house, and come to investigate immediately. After all, if their previous dates are any indicator, he would have dressed up for her. She must admit she likes seeing him like this though, all rushed and natural. He’s not even had time to put on his makeup as usual. It’s the closest she’s ever come to seeing him naked, and she likes what she sees.

The one thing that really gets to her is the naked emotion in Dominic’s eyes.

Her poor man looks like a starving wolf ready to make a kill. She’s certain that he’s already fucked her five times over in his mind since he entered the room. Oh, but he can have her six times if that would please him. He can have her anyway he wants. At least that way, when William comes, he may realise she has a use; she’s played a whore before, and she’d happily play one again if it means Dominic won’t push her aside. Sex is the second best weapon she has (the first being her scythe, but she doesn’t plan to use THAT on Dominic), and she wields it well. Even if Will turned that weapon against her, she still knows how to handle it. 

She only hopes Dominic doesn’t find a way to disarm her after he hears William’s lies.

Grell puts on a seductive tone, her hands on her hips. She’s careful to keep her ass more or less in view though; that seems to be what Dominic is focusing on. ‘Oh, Dommie Dearest, you are a bad boy. You’re supposed to eat dinner before you start eyeing up dessert. Still, what was I expecting? You’re a grown man with a ravenous appetite. Would you like a quick taste? I won’t tell anyone.’ She inches closer to Dominic, her meaning perfectly clear.

Once again, Dominic is wondering if he’s died recently without realising it. How do things like this keep happening to him? What has he ever done to deserve Grell or her unreasonably sexy attitude? What does a quick taste even mean?! A kiss? A grope? Full blown oral? What does the woman mean?!

Whatever she’s offering, Dominic’ll take it; how often does such an offer come about? Well, at least once a week if you’re him apparently… oh, but he must have died at some point. 

In an instant, Dominic is standing before Grell, his hands hovering over her hips in anticipation. He’s bracing himself for contact; all she has to do is give him the all clear.

Grell grabs Dominic’s hands, and places them firmly on her ass, coaxing him into squeezing it. When he gladly plays along, she smirks. ‘That’s it. Grab me like you mean it. I’ve been dying to feel your hands on me again. You can even dig your nails into it, I don’t mind you getting a little rough.’ It’s not like he’ll ever be as rough as William was that night…

For the first time tonight Dominic speaks aloud, though it’s not the chastising remarks he was planning. No, it’s a low growl in Grell’s ear instead, his hands giving her ass another squeeze. ‘And risk leaving nail marks on your perfect ass? No way. I think love bites would suit it so much better.’ Damn, but he’d love to do just that. Maybe one day Grell will let him tie her to the bed just so he can leave his love marks on every inch of her. 

Grell doesn’t seem to be having it though, as she tries to make his hands dig deeper into her flesh. ‘Mark me up all you want. It’s what I’m here for.’ There’s something off about her words tonight, but Dominic just can’t place it. Instead, he says the first thing that comes into his mind.

Smirking, he brings his lips to Grell’s ear. ‘I thought you were here to cook me dinner.’ A dinner Dominic would definitely be looking forward to, if Grell hadn’t turned up looking like a meal herself.

For some reason, his words seem to frustrate Grell, who wraps a leg around Dominic’s waist and starts grinding herself against him. While Dominic’s body responds in the way one might expect, his mind fog is slowing lifting; something really is off with her. 

Dominic is going to gently push her away when Grell does something that almost blows his head clean off his shoulders; she moves one of his hands over to her opening. If that wasn’t enough to make him pass out, he notices that her opening is wet. He’s a little confused at first, when it suddenly becomes clear; she’s already been prepping herself for him. 

His suspicious are confirmed when Grell starts pawing at his crotch, a sultry tone to her voice. ‘You can feel it, can’t you? I’m so wet for you. Who cares about waiting for sex? I’ve seen the way you look at me. I know how much you want this. You want it, and I’m desperate for it, so why wait? I’ve even bought some toys with me, if you want them. You can stuff me up all you want, then I’ll make you dinner.’ Fuck. Oh how Dominic wishes he could take her up on that, but this isn’t right. In fact, he’s barely tempted by it. 

That’s his story at least, and he’s sticking to it.

Before he falls victim to his libido again, Dominic manages to detach Grell from him before taking a step back, keeping both her and temptation just out of his reach.

Grell looks dejected, but Dominic doesn’t let that get to him; he knows there’s something wrong, and he’s going to find out what. ‘What the fuck, Grell? Where the fuck did this come from? We agreed to take shit gradually! Fucking you on my dining table isn’t my idea of gradual. What’s going on, Grell? Talk to me.’ He hopes he’s not come off as too aggressive, but he’s still in shock. There’s a good chance he’s going to end up thinking about her well-prepared entrance for the rest of his life, which isn’t exactly a bad thing… a huge distraction yeah, but sweet mother of everything, a wonderful one.

To his surprise, Grell begins to look a lot smaller than usual, her eyes threatening to spill over. ‘You don’t want me? Why? What did I do wrong? I can fix it. Whatever I’ve done I can fix it. Is it my body? Are you that disgusted with me? I can change it. I can be anything you want me to be. Just don’t throw me away when you’re through with me.’ Her words are like a bucket of cold water. Where is all this coming from?

Beyond confused, Dominic shakes his head, as if doing so will cause everything to fall into place. ‘I… what? Fix what? There’s nothing wrong with you. Well, apart from the obvious, but so? I’m broken too. Why would I throw you away for being like me?’ None of what she’s saying makes any sense. She’s perfect in his eyes. He’s never told her otherwise, has he?

Has he?

Grell does start crying now. ‘If I’m so great, why don’t you want me?’ Fuck, how can he explain it to her without making things worse? He thought he already had! 

Sighing, Dominic takes a huge risk; he pulls Grell into his arms, cradling her as she cries into his shoulder.

He keeps his voice soft and quietly. ‘I do want you. More than I’m willing to admit out-loud. But I don’t want you like that. Not yet. Not until I’m confident enough to show you my scars at the very least. When I told you I wanted to take this slow, it’s not because I don’t desire you. It’s because I’m too fond of you to risk losing you to impatience or some shit. You’re my girlfriend, and I like that you are, so will you please just stop crying and tell me that you forgive me for making you cry?’ Normally, Dominic would fight anyone who dared to say such a thing was his fault, but he’s on thin enough ice as it is; he needs to take the pressure off quickly.

After a moment or two, Grell wraps her arms around Dominic, bringing his body flush against hers. Her torso ends up pressing right into his scars, but Dominic does his best to ignore the pain for a while. No easy task, as the fabric between their bodies is aggravating the scars so much he can feel them start to bleed…

Amazingly, Grell seems to notice, as she pulls herself away instantly, her nose wrinkled as she sniffs the air. ‘Dominic? I smell blood. Are you bleeding? Did I hurt you?’ She’s going to burst into tears again, isn’t she? How he wishes he could stop her doing that.

Dominic shakes his head emphatically. ‘No. I mean, yes I’m bleeding, but you didn’t hurt me. My scars just got irritated by my shirt. It happens all the time.’ It hasn’t happened for a while actually, but she doesn’t need to know that. He just needs to think up a way to deal with the bleeding without taking his eyes off of Grell, lest she try to run away out of her false sense of fear. 

Before he can, Grell’s hands go for the front of his shirt, pulling it away from his skin whilst still keeping his torso covered. ‘You need to keep the fabric away from the blood so it doesn’t stick. If you sit down and take it off, I can make you a bowl of warm water to clean If with. I promise I won’t look at you if you don’t want me to.’ As tempting a thought as having a half-naked Grell treating his wounds (possibly while on her knees) is, that does involve her seeing his chest, and he’s not sure he can do that. He wishes he could though…

Dominic does as Grell instructed, pulling a chair out from the table to sit on. He sits so the backrest is to the side, allowing Grell a view of his soon-to-be-bare back. Speaking of, he takes Grell’s advice too, pulling his shirt over his head and putting it onto the table. 

As he hears Grell rummage around his kitchen for supplies, Dominic remembers something. ‘There’s a roll of bandage gauze in the right top hand cupboard. Scissors are in the draw underneath it. Might as well patch myself up properly while I’m here.’ At least the bandages will provide him with some coverage. Maybe then he could convince Grell to kiss him better…

No! Bad mind! Grell is upset! No dirty thoughts! Oh, but how hard it is to keep his mind out of the gutter with so much divine flesh mere inches away…

This time it’s Grell who does as instructed, passing Dominic the bandages and scissors before placing a bowl of warm water and a cloth on the table before him.

With her part done, Grell stands behind Dominic, her eyes fixed firmly on the back of his head. ‘Are you sure you’ll be okay? I could treat your wounds for you, you know. I do have experience in such things.’ Oh, so Grell has played nursemaid before, has she? That’s an image Dominic is going to hold onto for a while…

Dominic shakes his head, both to answer Grell and clear his head. ‘Thanks for the offer, but unless you know how to treat chest wounds blindfolded…’ yeah right. Grell’s talented, but even she can’t do that.

Dominic’s jaw almost unhinges itself when Grell reaches over him to retrieve the cloth from the bowl, wringing it out slightly before kneeling behind him.

She brings the cloth up to his chest, and begins to wipe it across his scarred flesh, as if blindly trying to clean away the blood on his chest.

Dominic’s mind is having difficulty comprehending the situation. He’s gone from half naked Grell begging him to fuck her to having his bleeding scars treated by her. Her tender touch is affecting him even more than the corset had, and he can’t help closing his eyes and surrendering to the sweet sensations she’s providing. It would be so wrong of his to ask her to turn her touch to his crotch, wouldn’t it? Especially after their little argument. He’s still planning to talk that over with her again as soon as possible, but there’s no way in hell anything coherent is leaving his mouth anytime soon.

Grell seems acutely aware of her effect on him, the smugness apparent in her voice. ‘Oh, so it’s my touch that you enjoy the most, is it? Interesting… would you like me to touch you lower? I don’t have to use the cloth for that. Or I could wrap my lips around your erection instead. Don’t even try to lie, I know you’re hard as a rock right now. Besides, I still owe you a blowjob. Would you like it now?’ Yes. Yes yes yes. Fuck. Fucking. Yes. Surely that’s not so bad, is it? Is it? It’s not like it’s actual sex. And she did promise… and he did accept that promise.

Oh shit. He wants it so bad. Would it really be so bad? Well, it wouldn’t be bad at all. He’s not doubt Grell has some serious oral skills. Oh fuck. Can he just…?

Shit. What is he even suppose to say? Does he say no like the gentleman he’s really not? Or does he say yes and risk making Grell feel worse?

What the hell does he do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> … look, I love my cliffhangers, okay? 
> 
> Hope to see you for the resolution ^.^


	10. Act Eight: The Visit Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: the following chapter contains descriptions of rape. You have been warned!
> 
> With that said, please enjoy this, as it was a struggle to finish today :P

Alright, Dominic has made his mind up. If he hadn’t already booked his place in Hell already, this might just do it…

Reluctantly, Dominic pushes Grell’s hand away from him. He hears her whimper a little, but he soon puts a stop to his with a single imperiously-spoken sentence. ‘Up the stairs, turn left, two doors down on the left. I’ll meet you there in a few moments.’ Fucked if the first time he gets to feel Grell’s lips on him is going to be on a kitchen chair. It was bad enough that he ended up fingering her in the living room, but the kitchen is a step too far. No, it’s happening, and it’s happening upstairs in his bedroom.

He really wishes he’d had time to make the bed a moment ago.

Grell stands, apparently knowing exactly what he means. ‘Do you still want me like this, or should I strip for you?’ Damn it, Grell, way to make Dominic’s mind go to shot again. Why the hell does she have to be this sexy?

Dominic shakes his head. ‘Don’t undress. If anyone is getting you naked, it’s me.’ Slowly, and with his mouth attached to as much of her skin as he can reach. Preferably the soft skin of her plump ass…

Without another word, Grell leaves the kitchen, and heads to Dominic’s room.

When he’s certain she’s out of earshot, Dominic lets out a heavy sigh. Well, this isn’t exactly how he was planning on things turning out today. Some kissing? Hell yes. A bit of heavy petting? If he’s lucky. Oral? Only if Grell’s still cool with it. Shirtless, aroused, and with his girlfriend on her way to his bedroom? No way in hell did he see this coming. 

Is it really a surprise though? Were it not for past experiences, he would have already tried his hardest to bed her. From her earlier actions he’s not sure he would have had to try hard, despite the fact he knows there’s a hidden truth behind them…

Well, it won’t be hidden for much longer. Dominic is going to offer her a trade of sorts. If she tells him why she feels compelled to play the whore for him… if she does that, he’ll show her his scars. 

He was going to wait, he’s been trying to put it off. Even if he’d given in a moment ago and fucked Grell against the table he would have kept his shirt on. It’s the single biggest concern he has left. As hard as it’s going to be to tell Grell about things like his abortion, at least he chose to do that. He didn’t choose to have his chest so badly mutated that there’s barely an inch of his upper torso left unscathed. Someone did that to him, then paid for the privilege. Money forever tainted by the fact he didn’t even want it…

No, not right now. There’s no point opening up old wounds unless Grell wants him to do so. She might not even come clean yet. All this worrying is irrelevant, at least for a moment.

Right now, the only relevant thing for Dominic to do is slip his shirt back on, pocket the bandages and scissors, and heads off upstairs to meet Grell.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

When he gets to his room, Dominic is greeted with a wonderful sight; Grell is sat on her knees in the middle of the bed, with her arms on the bed before her, her torso extended forward enough for her breasts to sit comfortably between said arms. She’s a picture, and for once Dominic actually wishes he owned a camera. 

Grell’s expression is positively wicked. ‘Well then, Dommie Dearest. It seems you’ve managed to coax me into your inner sanctum. Am I to become a slave to your desires now? I’ll do my best to tend to your every-‘ Grell drops her act immediately, her whole face falling. ‘Dominic? Why are you wearing that wretched t-shirt? You’re only going to aggravate your wounds further. Please, take a moment to bandage it up. I swear to you that I won’t watch as you do so.’ From seductress to sweetheart in less than a minute; is there anything Grell can’t do?

Dominic shrugs. ‘It’s fine. What’s really aggravating me right now is you. Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? Last I checked I’m your boyfriend, not your fuck buddy. This emotional shit is a huge part of my job description. 

‘Now, how about this; I’ll let you see what’s under my shirt if you let me know what you’re hiding from me. I think that’s a fair deal. Whatever you’re hiding seems to be eating you up inside, and these scars of mine seem to literally be eating my flesh so… yeah?’ It sounds stupid saying that out-loud now. Why in the hell would she go for that? It’s hardly a reward, is it? ‘Tell me your traumatic past and I’ll show you my messed up body’?! It was a stupid thing to say, and Grell will shoot it down immediately.

To his surprise, Grell seems to take a moment to think before answering. When she has an answer in mind, she pats the bed in front of her, silently requesting that Dominic take a seat. He does just that, sitting right in front of Grell.

The crimson reaper takes a deep breath. ‘I am so used to rejection. At this point, it feels as if it’s etched into my very soul, a burden that I must bear as long as I live. Countless times my heart has been broken, and I’ll never be able to shake the feeling that the next heartbreak is only a few moments away. This has been a constant ever since I was born.

‘My parents rejected me. I wasn’t the son they wanted. I wasn’t even a man at all. At least that’s what I was told the day they found me laying with another man. He denied everything of course. Told them that he had been seduced by my wicked ways. I didn’t deny his claims either. I was young, and I loved him. I didn’t want my love to cause him pain or to stain his reputation, so I kept quiet. I would have done anything for him.

‘That’s when the mob came. An endless swarm of people outside, demanding my life. The man leading them… it was him. He would have seen me dead rather than admit our love was mutual. Perhaps it never was. Still, I may have given him the satisfaction of warming his bed, but I would give no one the satisfaction of ending my life. I killed myself just as my parents burst in, no doubt planning to hand me over to them. Their only child…

‘When I was reborn as a reaper, I honestly thought things would change. I excelled in the academy, receiving almost unprecedented marks in my combat examination. I was one of the best of my class, a real hopeful. Some had me pegged to be the next Undertaker. You remember me mentioning him, yes? The man who gave me my scar?’ Dominic nods, still totally engrossed by her story. ‘Yes, well, had I fought him a decade or so later, things may have turned out differently. I’m certain I could hold my own against him now at the very least.

‘Alas, I have never once been promoted, and all the ambitions people may have once had for me faded into nothing the moment I told them I was living a lie. I am the one of the only openly transgender Shingami, and the attitude of my peers reflects that. To most I am a novelty at best, and an annoyance at worst. Of the thousands of my kind out there, there are only two I would consider friends. 

‘Still, that has not stopped me from giving my heart away time and time again, only to watch it being tossed aside. Yet for the longest time, my heart belonged to one man, and one man only; William.’ William? As in Will, her boss? Why him? Dominic hasn’t heard much about him, but given that what he has heard usually comes from a very teary Grell… this can’t end well.

Grell takes a deep breath. ‘For the better part of a century I longed after that man. I would have done anything for him. Sure, my eyes may have strayed from him once or twice, and my heart may have briefly touched another, but there was no one I wanted more than William T Spears. 

‘As you may have noticed, I’m not exactly subtle. Everyone in dispatch knew just how far my desire went. Even William himself knew I was in love with him, but he’d always reject me, sometimes forcefully. Yet his touch was the only kind I knew, harsh as it was, so I persisted. Everyday I’d offer to get on my knees for him, and everyday he’d reject me. I never gave up though. Not until that night.’ Grell’s demeanour darkens considerably, and Dominic knows in his gut that she’s about to tell him the crux of the issues.

Grell’s voice sinks to a whisper. ‘It was an end of year party. We’re seldom allowed such celebrations, but that night the higher ups seemed to okay it for some reason. They even provided us with food and alcohol, something that was previously unheard of. Oh, and it was a perfect party. My friend Ronald accidentally tried the same pick up line on the same girl twice, dear Othello came all the way out of his lab just to be part of the commotion, and William had abandoned his jacket, something almost as rare as the higher ups allowing us a party. My first move of the night had been to chat him up, and when he shot me down again, I drank. I drank, and I drank, and I drank until the world started to spin. The bodies, the furniture, and even the music started to blur into one. I didn’t even realise I’d left the party until someone pushed me into my bedroom, and my head made contact with the headboard. 

‘I tried to sit up, only for someone to force me back down. I couldn’t make out who it was at first. It was only when I started struggling, and I heard a familiar sound of irritation that I realised it was William.

‘My outfit was torn to shreds methodically and swiftly, the cold air stinging my skin. I struggled so hard, I didn’t want it. Not like that. All the times I’d offered myself to him, yet he chose to force himself on me like that. The sheer cruelty of it tore painfully at my very core, but it was not the worse pain I experienced that night. No, that came the moment he forced himself inside of me.

‘To this day, I’m not sure what hurt more; the agony of being torn into without consideration or care, or the poison he whispered in my ear as he defiled me. I can still hear him now, despite my intoxication. Every word cuts into me like a knife whenever I think of it. He told me that I’ll only ever be two things; a freak, and a whore. He forced me to look him in the eyes as he told me that he was doing me a favour, that no one else would ever want to fuck me. He even told me he wished that I had been born a woman, just so he could leave me with a permanent reminder of him. As if the damage he did to me that night hasn’t already proven permanent enough.

‘I stopped fighting then. It was useless. So I laid there quietly sobbing, hoping it would be over soon. Perhaps some divine being took pity on me, because it was over in a matter of moments after that. William finished, redressed, and was out of my flat in moments.

‘I don’t know how long I laid there, staining my sheets with the evidence of what had just transpired. I couldn’t move. I don’t think I would have moved at all, were it not for the knock on my door. 

‘Dear Ronnie had noticed my absence and the party, and had decided to make sure I made it home safely. I hate that he had to see me in such a state, but I am grateful he was there. He helped clean me up, you see. He let me lean on him as he wiped away all of the blood and semen, and he made me tea to sip while he remade my bed for me. He even stayed with me that night, comforting me as I sobbed. Not once did he try to force a confession from me, though I think it was clear what had transpired. When the morning came, I told him the identity of my rapist, and he agreed to come with me as I made a formal complaint against him.

‘It took everything I had to walk into the main office that day, and what I found there destroyed me completely; it was William, already in deep conversation with the big boss. You see, he had already beaten me to him. He told him that I had raped him that night, and that while he didn’t wish to see me transferred, he did wish to see me punished. So I was. I spent decades atoning for a crime that I was the victim of. Ronnie protested vehemently on my behalf, but in the end I asked him to stop; I did not want to see him punished over it too. 

‘So, I imagine you’re wondering why I want you anywhere near me after that, aren’t you? Well, there are three reasons. The main reason is obviously that I’m beyond attracted to you, and I find the idea of bedding you positively delicious. The second is that William was right; I was made to play the part of a whore. I was hoping that if I played my part well, then you’d at least consider keeping me around in that capacity, should William decide to tell you that familiar lie of his. The final reason is that there is nothing you could possibly do to me that would hurt more than what I’ve experienced. Even if you did the exact same thing he did… I survived it once. I could do it again, if it would please you. So there. That’s what’s eating away at me. Do what you will.’ For once, Dominic doesn’t need to think of an answer; he awkwardly scoops Grell into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

He makes no effort to contain the string of words that leave his mouth. ‘Never again. I swear. I’ll kill him for what he did to you. How dare he? How dare he?! You’re not a whore. You’re a victim. He’s a monster. I’ll never let him touch you again. I promise, you’ll never be hurt like that again. Grell…’ He can feel her tears soaking up his shirt, and almost lets loose some of his own. To think that they’ve both suffered such horrific abuse at the hands of two separate monsters… he means it. If he ever meets William, it will only be the once, and he’ll regret it. Dominic has killed better men over less than this. That anyone could do something so vile to the woman he loves makes his blood boil…

Wait, loves? Where did that come from?

It’s not important right now. The only thing that matters is that Grell is falling apart in his arms, and there’s nothing he’ll ever be able to say or do that’ll fix the past. How can he even begin to help her heal? He’s still fucked up over his own past. To say it would be the blind leading the blind seems redundant at best…

Speaking of his past, Grell pulls away slowly, looking into Dominic’s eyes with tears still in her own. ‘So… I gave you my answer. I believe there is something you were going to show me in return? Unless you’ve changed your mind. About me or your body in fact. I would understand if you couldn’t bear to look at me after what I’ve just told you.’ That’s it. William dies horribly. Dominic is going to spend the rest of his life thinking up ways of making that thing pay for what he did.

Placing his hands on Grell’s face, Dominic uses his thumbs to wipe away her tears. ‘I just promised you I’d never let you go through that again. It will be impossible to keep that promise if I can’t even look at you, won’t it?’ Grell smiles at that, so he continues. ‘Besides, you forget my own past. You ended up falling victim to someone you loved. I was paid to do pleasure men in similar ways. I don’t think there’s any arguments there over which of us has had it worse.’ After all, Dominic still had choices back then. He didn’t have to keep going out every night; he could have starved himself, or waited for the Repoman to collect his stomach.

If anything, Grell’s crying gets worse. ‘You have. You honestly don’t see what happened to you as rape? You were a child. They should never have touched you. You were a desperate child, and they took advantage. They abused you time and again. You’re as much a victim as I am. The only difference is you weren’t so acquainted with your assailants.’ Putting it like that hurts Dominic so much she may as well have punched him in the gut. Is that true? Was it rape all along? Not with all of them, surely. There were days when Dominic didn’t mind what the clients did. Does that not count as consent? 

There’s another thing that she said that doesn’t ring true either. ‘There was one I was familiar with; Pavi.’ Dominic’s really going there, isn’t he? He’s really going to show Grell what that ‘man’ did? 

Grell’s tears stop, her face contorting in confusion. ‘Pavi? You’ve mentioned him before, haven’t you? Is he the reason you’re so reluctant to sue me your chest?’ Well, he’s the cause of the reason at the very least…

Dominic nods, before closing his eyes and bringing his hands to the bottom of his shirt. Grell moves to straddle his lap properly, making sure there’s ample space between her and Dominic’s chest. 

A small whisper escapes Dominic’s lips. ‘I’m sorry you have to see this.’ With that, he rolls the fabric of his shirt up and off of his body, revealing the scarred flesh underneath.

The first thing Dominic hears is a gasp, and his heart drops. She hates him. She thinks him grotesque, just as he’s always known she would. This was a mistake. He should have hidden his body from her. She’s going to run, to hide, to leave hi-

Grell’s voice is dripping with fury. ‘Where is he?’ Who? Pavi? Does she not know?

Reluctantly, Dominic opens his eyes, only to look into Grell’s own burning eyes, a seemingly unending rage behind them. ‘Probably with his father. The Largos are the most famous family in the entire country, possibly even the world. Have you not heard of them?’ He’s starting to feel very exposed suddenly. He’d probably feel more confident if it was a whole group of strangers looking at him, rather than just Grell.

Grell seems to get even angrier, as if such a thing is even possible. ‘Why did it have to be him? There’s no way I could kill him before time without being executed myself. Oh, but I would do it for you. Give me the word and I’ll give you his head. To think that anyone has harmed my precious Dommie cuts me deeply, but to poison the wounds so that they’ll never heal…’ as Grell hovers her fingers lightly over Dominic’s scars, the man himself is contemplating her words. Poison? What does she mean? Pavi never mentioned… but why would he? It would explain why they’ve not healed as they should. That bastard… he really did want Dominic ruined completely, didn’t he? Didn’t he? How long would it have been until he did things even more unspeakable then that? Was he planning to wear Dominic’s face too?

The confusion must show, because Grell suddenly becomes somber again. ‘You didn’t know, did you? You didn’t know he’d poisoned you?’ Dominic shakes his head. ‘My poor man. It’s okay. I can help you. I… one of my friends might be able to give me something to nullify the poison. I can’t promise anything, but if anyone can help, it’s Othello. The only catch is he might need a blood sample, but we can cross that when we come to it.’ Blood sample? Is that all?

Dominic has to stifle a chuckle. ‘After all that Pavi did, you really think that’s going to be a problem for me? There’s a cloth downstairs covered in my blood. If you really think your friend can help, then do what you have to. I… trust you.’ Damn, Dominic never thought he’d say those words to anyone. He only hopes Grell feels the same way…

For a moment, Grell seems taken aback, before completely recovering herself. ‘I… thank you for that. It means a lot to hear you say something like that.

‘Look as the pair of us, eh? Half naked, with all our scars laid bare. Where do we go from here?’ That’s a good question, actually. Grell’s revelation has made Dominic reluctant to continue anything tonight, for fear of doing her further psychological harm. After all, as tender as he’d treat her, giving her a lower dose of the same mental sickness doesn’t act in the same way a vaccine against a virus does; it only tends to make things worse.

Not for the first time, Dominic is sure Grell can read minds. ‘Oh no, don’t you dare. You are not William, my dear. You would never force me into anything, especially not this. I want to thank you for your kindness and your… fondness. I know a blowjob isn’t quite the same as the real thing, but I promise, I’ll make you feel good. I pride myself on having a very talented tongue you see; I’ll blow your mind as well if you’ll let me.’ Damn Grell. Damn her and her Grellness. How is he supposed to be selfless and kind with her acting like this? Fuck, he wants her so bad.

With no answer from Dominic, Grell coaxes him into taking matters into his own hands, by literally grabbing them and placing them over her breasts. ‘They’ve missed you so, my dear Dominic. Would you truly deny my sweet breasts the chance to feel your body against them? They would weep for your touch if they could. Speaking of weeping, do I I know how wet I’ve been since I last saw you? My body longs for you, just as my heart does. Please, just let me show you how much I want you.’ Instead of spurring him into action as intended, Grell’s words are almost the death of Dominic. They’re actually the death of his resolve, which has crumbled into dust. If his girlfriend is truly so desperate to pleasure him in such a way, why deny them both? Especially after Grell’s claim of being particularly gifted in the art of giving head…

Right, that does it now. She wants to suck on him? She can do whatever the fuck she wants to him. Except keep him waiting much longer…

With his resolve rebuilding itself for this new purpose of his, Dominic yanks down the fabric of Grell’s corset, causing her breasts to pop out over the top.

His fingers go straight for the nipples, toying with them as he looks Grell straight in the eyes. ‘At least I know for sure you’re a reaper now; you’ll be the death of me. Still, it makes no sense to deny a beautiful woman, especially when she’s offering something so… fuck, my dirty talk is terrible. Would you please suck me off now?’ Dominic is losing himself in Greek once again, only this time he doesn’t mind so much. There are so few secrets left between them anyway; mostly just his abortion and this ‘Jack The Ripper’ thing Grell keeps mentioning. At this point, he’s half expecting her to tell him that she IS Jack The Ripper…

… is it bad that the thought turns him on a little?

Speaking of turning on, Grell has started pawing at the front of his trousers, trying to coax them down his legs. When she has no luck, she sneaks a hand into his waistband, only to gasp.

Dominic can’t contain his smug smile as Grell explains her surprise. ‘You’re not wearing… and you’re positively leaking! What a filthy man you are. I’m going to have to clean you up now, aren’t I? Honestly, men these days have no self-control.’ Oh yeah?

The smug smile on Dominic’s face grows ever wider as he sneaks one of his hands into Grell’s underwear, running his thumb along her slit. ‘That’s funny, because you seem plenty wet yourself. Women these days are just as eager it seems. I wonder if the rest of you is this keen…’ Dominic trails his hand down Grell’s front until he reaches her ass, and begins gently circling the ring of muscle he finds there, careful not to press too hard.

Grell squeaks in surprise, a sound that turns into a needy moan quickly. ‘Yes, it is. I’m so keen. I’ll do anything for you. You can… fuck, please stick your fingers in me. I can’t take the teasing.’ Dominic can’t help but think Grell is quite cute when she’s desperate; by the time he’s done with her, she’s going to wish he’d never noticed that.

Dominic removes his fingers, earning him a confused look from Grell.

The man smirks again, one hand on Grell’s chin as the other fiddles with the laces on her corset. ‘I can’t do that. Not until I remember when I left the lube. Now, if only I had a beautiful woman who could do something special to jog my memory…’ he feigns looking thoughtful, then pretends he’s had an epiphany. ‘Oh, but I do have a beautiful woman who could do something to jog my memory. Aren’t I a lucky boy?’ He’s half conceded Grell will kill him for his teasing. Still, that would be hell of a way to go…

Grell catches on to Dominic’s meaning just as her corset falls away from her body. ‘Oh, but you are a lucky boy. Lucky that I know how to please my man. Why don’t you get comfy and slip these trousers off for me? I can’t act until I’ve got my target in sight.’ Honestly, this seems like a bad idea; if Grell keeps this up, Dominic is actually more likely to forget where he put the lube…

Never one to deny her though, Dominic slips his trousers off as Grell stands, giving him room to position himself. The moment his trousers hit the floor, he does just that, moving to the head of the bed to get comfortable. He stacks a few of his pillows to prop himself up (no way he doesn’t want to watch Grell at work) before relaxing into them, feeling surprisingly at ease despite his state of undress.

With Dominic in position, Grell crawls up his body, once again resting on his crotch. She still has her underwear on, but that doesn’t bother Dominic; she’ll have it off soon enough.

Smirking, Grell hovers her breasts over Dominic’s face. ‘Would you like to give them one last kiss? I could be sucking you off for some time. There’s just so much of you to explore…’ she really knows how to stroke an ego, doesn’t she? Damn, if only he’d saved enough brainpower to come up with a few witty responses.

As it is, all Dominic can do is lean up slightly, taking a nipple into his mouth. After giving it a quick suckle, he does the same to its twin, noting with great satisfaction the way the Grell’s face contorts in pleasure. 

‘Final goodbyes’ done, Grell works her way back down Dominic’s body, only settling when her face is directly in front is his crotch.

Grell makes a point of licking her lips. ‘Mmm, now isn’t this a treat? I am a lucky lady. Now then, do I start with the erection itself…’ Grell’s tongue swipes at the apex of Dominic’s genitals, a jolt of pleasure running through him. ‘… or do I explore? After all, I’m sure a man like you has many hidden treasures to offer…’ Unless she’s suddenly interested in Z, there’s not much hidden in Dominic’s house or on his person that could be considered a treasure. Still, if she really wants to explore…

The exploration mostly seems to consist of Grell running her tongue against the redundant skin around Dominic’s front hole, until she gasps again. ‘Oh Dominic, how could you keep this from me? I never knew you had a front hole, too! Here I was about to tease your ass when I find this interesting little cavern. I can only imagine the treasures you’re hiding in there. Perhaps I should explore further, if that’s alright with you?’ She’s teasing him. She has to be. Why bother asking otherwise? Dominic’s let her down there, she should just get on with it already! Oh, but this is payback, isn’t it? Why is payback never fun unless he’s the one getting it?

Never one to back down from anything, Dominic grunts out a reply. ‘It’s such a shame I still can’t remember where that lube went. Ah, well. Looks like one of us won’t be leaving happy.’ One of them won’t be leaving at all as it goes. Maybe he should have thought his response through?

Grell pouts at him. ‘I was only trying to be considerate. I don’t know if you like having your front hole teased or not.’ Oh. Well, Dominic’s an asshole.

Sighing, Dominic runs a hand through his hair. ‘I thought you were just being a tease. You can explore there a little of you’d like, but I’d prefer it if you kept your focus a little higher right now; I really need the stimulation.’ Or rather ‘he’s so pent up right now that a few clever licks in the right places will turn him into a gibbering wreck’, but what he said was quicker.

Once again, Grell seems far too pleased with herself. ‘Oh, but I can give you that.’ With that, Grell all but abandons the entrance she ‘discovered’ in favour of picking up where she left off; teasing Dominic’s most sensitive area relentlessly.

Dominic’s eyes snap shut as as Grell starts working him in earnest. His hands grip the sheets below him like vices, trying in vein to keep purchase on reality. Where the hell did Grell learn how to do this? Has she had many transgender lovers? Maybe she’s had a few female lovers? She’s familiar with Dominic’s equipment, that’s for sure. He can only imagine what it’ll be like when he finally gets all the right parts. 

It doesn’t take long for Grell to bring Dominic to the edge; she’s had him close to the edge since they first met. That doesn’t stop Dominic from howling her name as the world falls apart around him, his eyes clamping down so hard he can see stars.

Grell works him through his orgasm, teasing him in ways that seem to draw it out as long as possible. Only when Dominic stops twitching does she finally relent, carefully moving up the bed and stretching her body out next to his.

When Dominic opens his eyes, he turns to face her, immediately noting her smugness. 

Said smugness is reflected in her voice. ‘Good to see I still know how to make a man scream my name. Now, if you would be so ki-‘ Her words are cut off when Dominic all but attacks her mouth, his body covering hers in an instant.

Keenly aware of what she just told him, Dominic doesn’t plan to stay in this position for long. However, he takes full advantage while he is, practically fucking Grell’s mouth with his tongue. Even when he manages to cut it slightly on one of Grell’s teeth he refuses to let up, kissing her until his body begs him for air.

As soon as the kiss ends, Dominic gives Grell one final instruction. ‘Get on your hands and knees.’ He practically jumps off of the bed, heading for his dresser (because why put lube in your bedside drawer like a normal person when you can hide it like a naughty teenager?). By the time he’s found what he’s looking for, Grell is in position, her ass looking positively irresistible on display like it is. Why the fuck doesn’t Dominic own a camera again?

Even if he did, he doubts a photo could capture Grell’s pure sex appeal. If he can’t put it into words himself, how can he expect a machine to frame it for him?

Grell seems almost giddy as Dominic struts over to her, eyeing the lube like a child eyeing up sweets. Her body trembles in anticipation as Dominic settles on the bed behind her, a finger hooking into the crotch of her underwear before dragging them down to her knees.

Dominic applies a soft kiss to both of Grell’s cheeks before he speaks. ‘You have the best ass I’ve ever seen. It’s… shit, I can’t describe it. The only words I have make me sound like I want to eat it, and while that may be true, that’s not what I’ve got planned right now. No, right now I think it’s time I paid you back for that blowjob. However, if you want to finish, you’re going to have to do something else for me.

‘We’re going to play a little game I like to call ‘What am I to you?’. Every time I stick my finger in you, I want you to say a word that you think describes yourself. If I agree with you, I’ll make sure you get extra stimulation in a certain area. If I disagree, I’ll withdraw immediately. Get enough words right, or beg me hard enough, and I’ll add an extra finger. Does that sound like fun?’ Dominic has no idea where that came from, but he’s glad it came out. This could not only be a chance to hear what Grell actually thinks of herself (nothing too pleasant, if past conversations are anything to go by), but to also admit certain things without having to say them. 

On her part, Grell seems eager, but there’s still one thing bothering her. ‘What about my… you know?’ For someone so sexy, Grell can be surprising unconfident at times…

Dominic smirks. ‘You clit your mean? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that too, if you’re good at the game. Now then, since I don’t actually know exactly where your sweet spot is yet, how about I give you one free taste of pleasure. Does that sound nice?’ Grell nods, and that’s all the encouragement Dominic needs. He squeezes himself out a large dollop of lube, and begins to coat Grell’s opening in it, occasionally pressing his fingertip inside of her to make sure that’s prepared as well.

When he’s satisfied she’s slick enough, he takes yet more lube, makes sure his finger is thoroughly coated in the slightly sticky substance, then gently begins to insert it.

Grell immediately begins to tense around him, so he stills, giving her a moment to adjust to the intrusion. When he feels the muscles relax again, he pushes in even further making sure to watch out for Grell’s reactions. 

By the time his whole finger is inside of her, Grell has shown no further signs of discomfort, but he still allows her a few moments of adjustment before he begins searching for her sweet spot. He moves his finger back and forth, searching for that one spot…

He feels something slightly different against his fingertip just as Grell cries out; bingo.

With his target now located, Dominic can begin his game in earnest. He repositions himself so he can stimulate Grell’s front with his hand, before sliding his finger almost all the way out of Grell.

Now in position, Dominic speaks. ‘Now the game begins. What’s your first word, my dear Grellybean?’ He wriggles his finger a little, teasing Grell mercilessly.

Grell answers in a strained tone. ‘Er… deadly?’ Given that her job is collecting souls, Dominic can’t really argue with that. He works his finger back inside Grell, finding her sweep spot again with ease. While the one finger is doing that, the hand at her front makes sure to keep up with the stimulation, something that has Grell’s legs trembling already.’

When he takes his finger out, Grell knows what she has to do next. ‘Tall.’ Again, not something Dominic can argue with. He repeats his actions, Grell’s moans intensifying.

The next few words are much the same. ‘Sassy,’ ‘Flirty,’ and ‘Committed,’ all leave her mouth with ease, earning her the same treatment. 

It isn’t the sixth word leaves her mouth that she discovers Dominic’s game is truly in effect.

With nothing obvious left, Grell goes for the next word that comes into her mind. ‘Whore.’ She says, waiting for her next dose of pleasure. Yet when Dominic’s finger goes back inside her, yet doesn’t stroke her in quite the same place, she realises she’s made a mistake.

Dominic’s growling voice confirms that. ‘You’re not a whore. Trust me, I’ve been one. You’re a woman, and you’re strong. You don’t have to play the whore for me, because I know better. So try again, and this time, don’t put yourself down so much, or I’ll have to tease you until you admit you’re worth more to me than sex.’ Grell feels like crying again. She never though… what is she to him them, if not a sex object? A partner yes, but is this another partnership of connivence? Is he the new Anne? Perhaps he intends to have Grell kill Pavi, then he’ll dump her. It would make sense.

And yet, it makes no sense at all. If Dominic wished to manipulate her, he could do so easily. Yet all he’s asked of her tonight is a single sexual favour, her understanding, and a pinch of indulgence. Surely he is difference for once? He listens like he wants to hear, and he speaks like her wants her to understand. He would not be so cruel as her past loves; in her heart of hearts, Grell knows it.

So she’ll test the waters now.

With a trembling tone, Grell utters her next word with great hesitation. 

‘Loveable.’ 

There’s a pregnant pause in the air, causing Grell to regret her choice of word. If she’d only gone for sexy or something like that. She’s ruined it now, hasn’t she? He’s going to think she’s too clingy or desperate or something. She should disappear, pretend this whole thing never happ-

Dominic’s voice seems to have reached the lowest possible decibel, his voice barely distinguishable from a growl. ‘Now that’s the woman I see.’ With Those words, Dominic abandons his game prematurely, desperate to watch Grell fall apart in his hands.

Unaware of his decision to abandon proceedings, Grell keeps shouting out words like her life depends on it. ‘Beautiful… smart… talented… sexy… oh fuck, please give me more. I need more!’ Not needing further encouragement, Dominic hastily applies lube to two of his fingers before tentatively bringing them back up to Grell’s opening.

He’s about to stick them part way in as a tester as he did previously, but Grell has other ideas. She rocks her body backwards, practically impaling herself his waiting fingers. 

Dominic is about to protest, but Grell beats him to it. ‘I don’t need you to be a gentlemen right now; I need you to finish this.’ ‘This’ clearing referring to the fact that Grell must be seconds away from release, if the fluids silently leaking onto one of Dominic’s hands is any indicator.

When Dominic withdraws his fingers, he quickly and subtlety looks for any damage. When all he can see is the copious amount of lube he’s just applied, he’s content to do as Grell asked, fucking her with his hands as best he can.

Grell doesn’t last longer than a minute.

Her release spills onto Dominic’s bed, staining the sheets below. He’s glad he’s never been all that house proud, or he’d be having a fit. As it is, he’s just glad he managed to satisfy his lover so completely.

The moment her orgasm subsides, Grell collapses onto the bed, uncaring that the sheet below her is soaked. Dominic finds himself following her onto the bed, flopping down beside her before resting a hand on her waist.

Grell interlock her hand with his, sighing in contentment. ‘Mm, I’d say that was more than a taster. How will you eat diner when you’re so full of dessert?’ He’d laugh if he wasn’t actually concerned about not eating today. This has been the most exercise he’s gotten in a while, unless you count running through graveyards…

Dominic lets out a sigh all of his own. ‘If diner is anything like dessert, I’ll manage.’ Fuck, is he suggesting a second round? What happened to actually eating?’

Grell turns to face him, a stern look in her eyes. ‘Not a chance. I need to make sure my man is properly fed, and that means real food! If you’re lucky though, I may give you an extra helping of dessert later…’ she chews her lip, and Dominic has to fight the urge to lean up and do the same. Have they always been so plump?

Dominic smiles. ‘I’d like that, but can you do me a favour?’ 

Grell’s eyes light up. ‘Of corse I can. Anything you want.’

A cheeky wink and a sly smile appear on Dominic’s face. ‘Don’t bother getting dressed.’ 

The mock offence on Grell’s face is worth the light slap he receives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was worth it ^.^’


	11. Second Intermission: Raison D’être

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> So, this is my last update until the new year now. I hope you like it.
> 
> Also, as anyone who’s gotten this far already knows, this chapter will contain mature themes. I know it’s in the warnings, but a second one isn’t a bad thing, is it?
> 
> Anyways, here it is.

Afterglow is such a beautiful thing.

With dinner plans now long forgotten, Dominic and Grell decide to lie together in bed, the former stroking the latter’s back as she dozes against his chest, positioned careful as to not disturb his angry chest scars, smiling contentedly to herself. 

Dominic knows he should be out either dealing or harvesting tonight, but he doesn’t care. Right now, Grell is the only thing in his life that means anything, and he’s going to hold onto her for as long as she’ll let him. 

He hopes she’ll let him hold her forever.

Dominic almost jumps upright when he feels a light tickle on his arm, so used to threats is he. But this time, it’s only Grell, her surprisingly delicate fingers trying over Dominic’s scars with a tenderness he’s not used to.

When she notices him looking, Grell speaks to him in little more that a whisper. ‘Were these ones done by Pavi too?’ She traces over the jagged-looking scars across his wrists and forearms, some of them still red from where he’d cut his own skin mere days ago. Dominic knows that she isn’t stupid, that she knows damn well what they are, but he’ll indulge her question anyway.

Dominic whispers in return. ‘No. I did them. I’ve been doing them since that first night, since my life changed. Everyone else hurt me so badly, cut so deeply… compared to what others have done to me, they’re nothing. Just reminders of how worthless I am…’ he wants to hides them, but there’s little point in doing so; she’s already seen how ugly he is.

Grell freezes at his words, her wandering hands coming to a sudden stop. ‘Never say that. Not to me. You’re not worthless in my eyes.’ Dominic wants to spit back a quip about how her terrible vision, but he can’t muster himself to speak with that level of flippancy.

Instead, he shirks her off, sitting up in bed so he doesn’t have to look at her. ‘If I’m so special, why has all this happened to me? Why did my parents die? Why did I have no choice but to sell myself? Why did Pavi choose me? Is being a pedophile’s plaything the only thing I was ever good for? Is that all I’ll ever be worth? And what am I supposed to do, now that I’m too old to be that? Now that I’m no longer some perfect little Lolita? What’s the point of my life when all I do is get people high and cut myself deeper every fucking day?’ If he’d not met Grell, the only reason he’d spend a night at home would be to cut. It’s become such a habit that he can feel his fingers aching, desperate for a blade to cut himself with.

Dominic feels Grell shift behind him, and tenses up, waiting for her to touch him. He doesn’t want her to. Doesn’t want her to sully herself by touching him. She’s already too close. What if it spreads to her? What if she becomes as dirty as he is? As broken? He doesn’t want that for her. He doesn’t want her to hurt…

Grell doesn’t move further, but she does give Dominic an answer. ‘I’ve asked myself similar questions. I’ve been asking them for centuries now, and I still don’t have answers. It’s so easy to say that is fate, that bad things happen for a reason, but that’s bullshit. There’s no such thing as fate or luck or reason. They’re all just excuses humans use for when things go wrong. Was it bad luck that I was born in the wrong body? Was it fate that I killed myself before an angry mob could tear me to pieces? For what reason did the man I used to love rape me? My only purpose in life is to harvest souls. Outside of that, I’m nothing…’ The weight behind Dominic disappears, and he doesn’t have to turn around to know that Grell has left the bed.

Dominic’s heart drops as Grell begins to redress, a clear sign that she means to leave.

Without thinking, Dominic does the one thing he dreaded Grell doing; he reaches out for her, taking her hand in his.

Dominic tries to bring Grell into his arms, but she resists, so he starts talking. ‘No it’s not. You’re worth so much more than that. I love you.’ He keeps trying to pull her to him, but she keeps resisting.

All Grell does is face him, and talk some more. ‘Is that supposed to be my new reason for living? Just because you love me? And I suppose you want my love to be your reason? But you know, I don’t know that it can be. What if one day you find that you no longer love me? That you’re sick of my pain and my outbursts? That you can’t handle being with me? If you leave me, you’ll tear away my very reason for being. I’ll try to kill myself again, just as I did before. You didn’t think to pay attention to that part of my outburst, and I’m not sure if I’ve told you before, but I’ll make it clear now; to become a reaper, one must commit suicide. I killed myself. I couldn’t live with who I was, and what little worth I had, so I took a blade to my wrists and watched as the world turned crimson beneath me. Before that day I had seen my fair share of blood, but not like that. I watched my life drain from my body, and I smiled, because it would all be over. Nobody loved me back then. They used me. How do I know this isn’t a cruel trick? Why would anyone love me? And tell me, if I were to leave you, would you fit he same? Would you stain the world crimson as you cried for a love that was your only reason to live?’ Grell yanks herself away from Dominic, and starts to search for her clothing again.

For the longest time, Dominic stands there in silence, for he has no words. He can see in his mind’s eye exactly what Grell just described; his crimson angel of death in a pile of her own blood, the fire in her eyes permanently extinguished. He can imagine himself looking like that too, but for some reason, all he sees in that image is peace, until…

If Grell left him, she would not return. She would not go looking for him, nor would she keep an eye for him on her list of souls to collect. Who would find him then? Would his body be all alone? Left to rot until the end of time itself, or until a group of bored teenagers decide to try their hands at breaking-and-entering?

No, he would not be left like that. Graverobber would search for him. He’d know of his friend’s absence, and he’d search. He’d search, and he’d find his worst nightmare. He’d see the child he spared from a terrible fate lying in a blood of congealed blood and he’d weep. He’d weep because he should have seen it coming, should have stopped it. He should have helped him, like he did so many times before. Why did he fail him now? Dominic can almost feel the older man’s grief stricken cries, as he begins to curse himself, and the pain he feels as he mimics the actions of his only friend.

Then what of Grell? What if he does that to herself? Dominic won’t find her, he can’t travel to her realm. Would it be her supervisor who found her? Would he break down her door after receiving no answer, only to find her dead? Would he smile, glad that the thorn in his side had chosen to remove itself? Can reapers even die twice? What happens if she commits suicide again? Is there another level of punishment beyond reaping souls? Will she become a demon? Who will mourn her? While Dominic would miss her dreadfully, he’d have no way of knowing what happened to her. She’d cease all contact, and he’d never know why. Or he would know, and that terrible knowledge would drive him to commit the act seen in his initial vision. Is that where this is going? After all, any cut he deals himself, no matter how small… he’s no SurGen. He could cut too deep, end his life without meaning to. It’s a vicious cycle, one that will only lead to unhappiness. But what can he do? If he does nothing now, it could happen. It could all happen…

So he does the one thing he had once thought unthinkable.

Without looking at Grell, Dominic heads over to his dresser, opens a drawer, and pulls out a razor blade. It’s been used so many times now that the blade is growing dull, and Dominic’s blood seems to be permanently absorbed into it, like some kind of grim magic. He walks back over to Grell, and holds it out for her, watching as she eyes it with caution before reluctantly accepting it.

Grell turns the blade over, examining it properly, frowning in realisation when she notices the blood. ‘This is what you use to harm yourself. Why give it to me? Did I or did I know just tell you not to make me your reason to live?! How can you trust me to keep this from you?!’ She seems to be getting angry, which suits Dominic just fine; rage is so much more becoming on her than sadness.

For the first time since Grell asked her question, a smile plays on the edges of Dominic’s lips. ‘That isn’t it at all, Grell. I don’t intend to make you my reason to live. You asked about fate and the like, and I see now that you’re right. It’s all arbitrary. Sometimes, horrific things happen for no reason other than the fact that they happened. Nothing anyone does can effect those things. Nothing I could have done would have spared my parents dying, or spared me from Pavi. Those things happened because they just did. There doesn’t need to be another explanation, and no blame can be given because there is no one who could possibly be responsible. The only person who deserves blame is Pavi, but even then, if it was not me, it would have been someone else. Nothing could change the fact he was going to do such dreadful things to a child.

‘However, sometimes good things happen too, and we can’t control those either. If I’d chosen not to walk home the way I did one rainy night when I was fourteen, I would have been forced to carry Pavi’s bastard, only to be murdered by GeneCo’s hired madmen. Instead, I met someone who changed my life, and as a result of his intervention, I met you. And I’m not going to lose sight of that again.

‘So, here’s a counter proposal for you. I’m not going to make you my whole reason for living. I’m sure that I’ll never hate you or fall out of love, but I don’t know that nothing will ever hurt you. You could die tomorrow just because. So I’m only going to make you part of the reason I’m living. There’s you, and there’s Graverobber, and I’m going to lean on you both as I try to find other things to build my life around. Existence hurts. Even now I can feel my body and soul begging for death. But I’ll stay strong, for both of us, because I want to be part of your reason, too. I won’t be all of it, just like you’re not all of mine. But those friends of yours, the two you’ve mentioned, they can fill in the rest for now. You can lean on me and them until you’re stronger too. 

‘We can’t change the past, my precious Grellybean. But we can choose to overcome it. And if there really is some other power choosing to fuck with us, what better way to piss it off than choosing to live anyway? We can make our own path without it. Because even a tiny amount of love is worth living for, and I’ve got enough of that to keep you going for now. At least, I’d like to think so.’ Dominic refuses to cry, refuses to blur what could be his final memory of Grell’s face, but his tears spill over before he can stop them.

Through blearily eyes, he watches as Grell makes the blade disappear before closing the distance between them, putting her hands on his hips and her head on his shoulder.

Her breath tickles Dominic’s neck as he speaks, but he finds he can endure the sensation when she’s the cause of it. ‘I was bluffing. You are my whole reason to live. I’d be lost without you. But I’ll take your deal, and I’ll build myself around more than just you, on one condition; if you take your own life, I’ll follow you, because that act is not random. It is you giving up your fight against the world that has been so unbearably cruel to you, and the day you do that, I’ll give up my fight too. So we stand together, and never stop fighting. If the world wants us dead, they’ll have to fight us both, and no one is going to get to my precious Dommie without a fight. I’m sure your friend the Graverobber feels the same. I should quite like to meet him, by the way. Does he know about me yet?’ If Dominic notices how damn his shoulder is, he doesn’t mention it. He’s too focused on the angel in his arms to care about anything else.

Still, he can at least answer her query. ‘He knows I’ve been seeing a stunning redhead. I’d be happy to introduce him though. Why don’t we have dinner with him sometime? You could invite your friends if you like? I’m sure Graves’ll make nice for a change if I promise to stop hogging his scalpel sluts.’ Grell snaps her head up, rage in her eyes.

‘What do you mean by that?! Have those whores been trying to steal my man?! If I find out you’ve fucked any of them, I’ll make sure it’s THEM you’re harvesting Zydrate from next, if their bodies are still salvageable!!’ Dominic is scared she’ll summon her chainsaw, and begins to regret his choice of words!

Putting his hands on Grell’s shoulders, he tries to talk her down. ‘Grell, chill. Why would I bother with them when I have you? It’s like eating lettuce when I could be having steak, and I’ll tell you know that I am not a fan of lettuce! Or veg in general really… fuck me running, that was a stupid analogy, wasn’t it? But trust me, I’ve got enough shit going on that I only have room for one woman in my life, and I’ve already decided which one I want. Please don’t go all Sutcliff, Sutcliff.’ From what Dominic has heard of the reaper council, Grell could find herself in deep shit if she goes on a killing spree…

Grell smirks, and Dominic breathes an internal sigh of relief; no chainsaw tonight.

The red reaper speaks. ‘Wrong ‘Ripper’, Dommie Dearest, but that’s for another day. For today, I don’t suppose there’s any chance I could coax you back into bed? Not for anything physical, it’s just… I felt safe in your arms. Like I could sleep in peace for once. Can we be like that again, only if for a while?’ Dominic’s heart is running wild again, for all the right reasons this time; how can someone so strong be so fragile too?

Dominic doesn’t utter a single word. Instead, he gently brings Grell (who apparently failed to find her clothes) back to bed with him, carefully positioning them both exactly how they were.

As Grell’s breathing begins to even out, and she begins to fade into dreaming, Dominic strokes her face, and whispers to her again.

‘I love you, my crimson angel.’ 

Though she is too far gone to speak, an answer resounds in Grell’s mind, her final thought before sleep.

‘I love you, my midnight raven’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, was it worth reading? I’m not sure when the next update will be (or if it will be), but I’ll keep you all posted. Hopefully I’ll have an update in a few weeks involving a certain dinner for five, but with the way my writer’s block has been, I make no promises.
> 
> Happy new year everyone. I hope it brings you all better things than this one


	12. Act Nine: Dinner And A Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s back! Sorry it’s been a while; had a bit of a block on for this story. 
> 
> Well, it’s kinda mostly gone now, so enjoy ^.^

This is really not where Dominic wants to be today.

The whole thing seemed so good on paper; invite Graves, invite Grell’s friends, have dinner, everyone is happy.

Dominic is not happy. He’s so not fucking happy.

He’d been happy two hours ago. Watching Grell cook in the cutest apron he’s even seen in his life had been heaven. She was even singing at one point, and it was so heavenly he’d been tempted to call the whole thing off and coax her back into bed.

Then Graverobber had arrived, and that signalled the beginning of the end. He’d just kinda… stared at Grell, for the longest moment. Dominic still can’t tell what that means; either Graves wants her dead, or thinks she’s hot. He’s really not sure which one he prefers…

Then it had been the turn of Grell’s friends Ronnie and Othello to arrive, and then it was Dominic on the receiving end of stares.

For two grim reapers, Grell’s friends aren’t what Dominic expected. Ronnie is lanky, with ridiculous two-toned hair that Dominic can only imagine he dyed in homage to his eyes. His suit fits him like a glove, but his shoes… who wears white shoes in this shit hole place?! Does he want them covered in blood and rotten flesh?!

As for Othello, well, he’s so… small. This tiny little man with wild green hair, slightly too big specs, a lab coat that he seems to have fused with, and fucking socks with sandals! He looks so bizarre and out of place, Dominic wouldn’t be surprised if he was the eldest reaper here. 

Both men had looked murderous when they’d arrived, but after a while, Othello’s expression seemed to have softened; Ronnie still looks murderous even now, halfway through the main course.

Even the seating plan makes Dominic unhappy; him and Grell are at the ends of the table, with Graves to Dominic’s left and Grell’s friends to hers. The two sets of friends have been sizing each other up for the longest time, and they’re still not stopping…

No sooner than Dominic thinking that, the reaper (which he assumes both of Grell’s friends are; they share the same eyes) known as Ronnie pipes up. ‘Wonderful meal, senpai. I’m guessing you did all the cooking yourself?’ Dominic feels hurt at what he’s sure is some kind of accusation from the young-looking man. Does Ronnie think he forced Grell into the kitchen because she’s a woman?! That’s bullshit!

… It’s actually because unlike Dominic, Grell can actually cook!

Grell grins proudly, either not understanding the subtext or choosing to ignore it. ‘I did indeed. I spent hours slaving over the hot stove for you, while my unreasonably handsome partner over there took care of preparing the house for you all.’ Dominic has even taken the time to fold the napkins into swans, something no one but Grell commented on… and that was before everyone had arrived.

Ronnie’s face contorts smugly, almost as if to mock Grell’s pride, as he turns to Dominic. ‘So, you’re a sexist piece of shit who thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen? I hope she realises soon that she can do better.’ Dominic has to really, really try hard not to walk over there and smash Ronnie right in the jaw. What the fuck kind of right does he have to be spewing this crap at HIS dinner party for HIS new girlfriend!

… Yes, he is still going to keep calling her that. Yes, that does mean he will fucking fight both reapers if they pull any shit! No one’s going to take away his happiness; the only one who has any right to do that is Grell herself.

Mercifully, Graves steps in; regrettably, he just inflames the whole thing. ‘Oh, like you, big man? At least Dom had the balls to make a move. What, did you honestly think there wasn’t going to be a line of men and women wanting a woman like her? You just throwing a hissy fit because someone picked up the toy you wanted?’ It’s a good analogy, and probably right, but still.

Dominic slams a hand down on the table. ‘Both of you, shut up! Ronnie, I didn’t cook for two reasons; I can’t cook worth shit, and Grell actually wanted to! And Graves, for the love of all fuck, don’t call her a toy. She’s an actually living person with thoughts and feelings. Not like those plastic whores you like so much. She’s a real woman.’ As he settles back down, he catches Grell making eyes at him, and they give a very clear message; he’s said exactly the right thing for once.

Somehow, that still doesn’t deter Ronnie. ‘You’re just saying that so Othello and I won’t cut you open right here and now. I see right through you. You’re just fucking her because you think she’s a novelty! ‘Oh, look at Grell, the woman with no vagina! It’s so nice getting to do anal with no real objections. I’ll string her along for a while, then I’ll trade her in for a real woman. She’ll be so heartbroken that she might kill herself, and I’d never have to worry again!’ Don’t even deny it, you bastard. You’re not really interested in her at all!’ That’s the very last straw for Dominic, who stands up, fist pounding on the table. 

He then almost flinches when he hears another set of fists on the table; Othello is also standing, and he looks even more pissed that Dominic.

For such a small man, Othello sounds genuinely terrifying as he turns to Ronnie, the rest of the table in stunned silence now. ‘Ronald Knox, you unbelievable arse! I understand you’re protective of Grell, and I am too, but your behaviour tonight is sickening. Starting arguments, shouting, outing your friend as trans in front of a stranger…’ he gestures to Graverobber. ‘… You know what? I came here more than ready to tear Dominic a new one, but if I’m honest, you’re the only one here who needs a beating! Either stop acting like a little shit, or leave. But don’t keep saying you’re here for Grell, because you’ve basically ruined her night at this point!’ He throws his arms up dramatically, practically shoving himself back down.

Ronnie’s whole face becomes scarlet, and his head moves between a clearly upset Grell and a silently furious Dominic, before settling on the latter. ‘When you toss her aside, I’m coming for you. I don’t think you’re man enough to take care of her like she deserves!’ That… that’s too far, even for Dominic.

Dominic’s next words are pure venom. ‘Well, I’m sorry that I wasn’t born with a dick, but at least I’m not acting like one! Oh, and if we’re playing this game, then you bet your ass Graves here will come after you when she tosses this novelty aside! Just… fuck it, I’m out of here.’ Dominic shoves the table in frustration as he walks away, leaving Ronnie with a pit of shame where his stomach should be, the implication of Dominic’s words hitting him like a bucket of icy water.

The four people left at the table all exchange looks in silence, until it’s Ronnie once again that breaks it when he notices the death stare Graverobber is shooting him. ‘I should… I’m… bye!’ Ronnie scurries away like he’s been zapped by a live wire, waiting until he’s just out of view before disappearing back to the Shinigami realm.

With a heavy sigh, and a few tears, Grell leaves her seat, and begins half-heartedly collecting up the half-eaten plates of food.

She stops when Othello grabs her hand gently, coaxing her into dropping the cutlery she’d just picked up. ‘Don’t worry about doing that, Grell. I’ll sort it. I’m… Ronnie and I have both been out of line tonight. I shouldn’t have been trying to kill him with a look, and Ronnie definitely shouldn’t have said all that shit. For what is worth, I’m happy for you. Dominic seems… well, the word ‘troubled’ springs to mind, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, I’ve been called that myself, and so have you. Oh, or was that ‘trouble’? I honestly can’t recall…’ 

Grell half smiles at that. ‘I’ve been called fat worse than that, and you know it. Still, I’m glad you’re willing to apologise. He’s not another William or Sebastian, Othello. He’s different. He’s… he’s like me. Misunderstood, constantly abused… and he knows what it’s like to live in a body that just isn’t your own.’ Grell’s gaze falls in the direction of Dominic’s room, her heart desperately pining after him.

Othello smiles softly. ‘I realise that. I noticed just as the appetisers came out. I don’t think I’d have picked up on it at all if I’d not been looking for it. He holds himself very well. I hate to ask this, and maybe I should ask him himself if he’ll ever speak to me again, but did someone mess up his mastectomy? He flinched every time something brushed against his chest.’ Grell almost can’t believe how observant Othello is; but then again, he’s not known as the smartest reaper in history for no reason.

Before Grell can answer, Graverobber answers in a bitter tone. ‘The guy who fixed up the reverse tit job did a fine job. It was some other fucker that took a blade to Dom’s chest. Fucking thing hasn’t stopped bleeding for years. Surgeon at the time said they’d never seen anything like it. Never found a solution to it. His chest bleeds like a stuck pig if you so much as breathe too heavily on it.’ A slight exaggeration, but not by much; Grell knows just how tender you have to be with Dominic’s sensitive and deeply wounded chest.

Othello hums. ‘You don’t suppose… was he…?’

Grell nods, answering the unspoken question. ‘Poisoned. I had hoped to discus it with you tonight, after you’d had the chance to meet him. I’m not sure exactly what substance was used, but it’s vicious; the wounds will never fully heal if left untreated.’ She’s not entirely sure that they’ll heal even if they are treated, but Dominic would certainly be a lot better off with wounds that don’t weep…

Graverobber stands suddenly, pushing the table away from himself with some force. ‘He… of course he did! Why did I notice that?! The untouchable Pavi Largo, able to do whatever the fuck he wants because daddy’s money and fame keep him safe! Well, that suits me just fine. I can’t get to him, I’ll never be able to get to him, but at least I can get to the next best thing.’ He begins to walk towards the exit, but not before stopping just in front of Grell. ‘If you have any sense, you’ll leave Dominic the fuck alone tonight. Your shithead friends have done enough damage. Oh, and don’t think I do see right through you. You might fool him, but not me; I can smell your kind a mile away.’ Graverobber doesn’t look back as he leaves, Othello and Grell staring after him with slack jaws and stunned eyes.

Othello regains the use of his mouth first. ‘’Your kind’? What do you suppose he means?’ Normally, Grell wouldn’t like to speculate, but as it’s Othello…

She lets out a dramatic sigh. ‘Oh, he’s probably convinced I’m a serial killer determined to kill Donnie Dearest and display his corpse on my landing. He’s half right of corse, but little does he know that I don’t actually have a landing…’ 

Othello sighs. ‘You’re lucky I know when you’re joking. Although, I guess I should be leaving now. I’ll try my best to talk Ronnie down if I can, but you know how stubborn he can be when he gets like this…’ Ah, but Grell wouldn’t have him any other way; for Ronnie’s stubbornness is matched only by his loyalty, and that’s something she’ll always be grateful to have.

Still, it doesn’t stop her from giving Othello a conspiratorial wink. ‘Don’t go easy on him then. I’m sure you have ways to make him truly repentant. If not, then I’ve many ideas I’d be more than happy to share with you.’ Though if Ronnie ever found out, he’d not thank her for them… not until little Othello takes pity on him and decides he’s earned a reprise.

Othello shrugs. ‘I think I’m good. Besides, what you’re thinking of would be more a reward than a punishment for him. I’ll have to see what he’s like when I get home I guess. Though speaking of…’ he looks in the direction that Dominic went earlier. ‘… I’d ignore that Graverobber guy. If your man is upset, you should go to him. Even if he ends up telling you to go away, or that he needs time, he’ll appreciate the fact that you care enough to try. Also, tell him I’m sorry, and that I’m more than happy to help him find a cure for his injuries. It’s the very least I can do.’ Grell knows the smaller man well enough that she understands he’d have done it no matter what, but she appreciates the sentiment.

So, Grell leans forward, pulling Othello into a hug as she speaks. ‘You’re a good man, Othello, and a fine friend. I know Ronnie is too, even if he can be an overprotective brat at times. I’m lucky to have friends like you, just as I’m lucky to have a man in my life who understands my pain, and is willing to shoulder my burdens even when carrying his own. If you’ll only give him a chance, you’ll see what I do. What I’ve seen in him since the moment we locked eyes.’ If only Grell had trusted her heart the very second they’d met, they could have already been past this ‘meeting the friends’ drama. But as it stands, Grell’s just happy she has him now, and for as long as he’ll have her…

Othello breaks away from the hug, and walks away with a broad smile on his face, and the promise of a much nicer second visit in his eyes.

With everyone now gone, Grell faces a visit of her own;

She only hopes Dominic is willing to let her comfort him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, bit of a mini vote here really. You can either have the next chapter full of Grell and Dominic having a chat, or I can push that back a chapter in favour of showing exactly what Othello has planned for Ronnie. The choice is yours ;)
> 
> Thank you for reading ^.^

**Author's Note:**

> So… I really hope I didn’t fuck this up. I know how important it is to treat such matters with caution, and I hope I’ve done that here. More will come to light about Dominic in later chapters, but that’s for you all to read when it happens. 
> 
> If anyone out there thinks I’ve messed up in any way then please, let me know. I’m really not an asshole, I didn’t write this to offend people. If my treatment of any of the aforementioned sensitive subjects has been insensitive, I’d sooner be told rather than risking making the same mistake.
> 
> Anyhow, I’m hoping to get the first iffic chapter out next week. Until then, I hope you liked what you read.


End file.
